


Dreams of Adventure

by Manic_Misanthrope



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-03-26 10:43:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13856160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Manic_Misanthrope/pseuds/Manic_Misanthrope
Summary: It used to be so much simpler on the open road for Zidane compared to the halls of Castle Alexandria, dreaming about the days free to roam the world. But when he and Dagger suddenly find themselves in a strange place with a new adventure lying ahead of them the dreams start becoming too real.





	1. Dreary Days

Weary eyes gazed into the sky, the red haze of a low sun mirroring the gazer's tired expression before drifting back to what was best described as a "Pile" of literature and studies. It had been a very long day for Queen Garnet til Alexandros and it was still somehow not complete. "Doctor Tot..." she began, trying her best to suppress the oncoming yawn "I thank you for your research, but surely all of ...this... wasn't necessary to bring to me directly." The young queen gestured in front of her.

The whole situation had been her own fault to begin with: a shooting star in the night's sky had seemed to be the most innocuous event, a moment of beauty and nothing more, but the moving light was visible after sunset for several days and the word "Comet" started to be hurled around, smashing the calm like a brick thrown through the window. The citizens of Alexandria and Lindblum began to whisper about omens, the death of nations still fresh in the minds of the Mist Continent. The Queen was quick to respond, sending as many scholars as she could afford to scour the texts in the city of Daguerro, search the bizarre Ispen's Castle and delve into the castle's own archives to find any information. With the events of Terra sparking fears of otherworldly involvement, it was a prudent measure to find something to dissuade fears of some great collapse. It may have been an omen, but that didn't mean it had to be all doom and gloom... it just didn't appear from the research to be anything at all.

"You were very specific about finding  _all_  the information, your Majesty." The bespectacled bird replied, taking great care to be as diplomatic in tone as possible. "And this does mark the tenth recorded sighting of a comet since the records began, multiple nation's records with their own perspective, in case there was any discrepancies between the accounts including a period four hundred and seventy years ago which seemed to include two sightings within the year but was actually a result of different dating conv-"

"I see." Garnet said firmly, closing the dusty tome and the discussion. "I hope you're having a better day than I, Zidane..." she muttered under her breath.

The deafening yells from the castle courtyard was one of the few things keeping Zidane's eyes open as he nonchalantly dragged his heels across the wall, pretending to look down and not snore. He had earnestly been trying to pay attention to Steiner as he clanked his way along, explaining various things that the former thief and current King was supposed to pay attention to and understand but went so far over his head that it could have hit the peak of a mountain for all the young man got of it.

Volunteering to go out and do inspections on the town's upkeep from the castle walls had seemed like a decent idea at first: some exercise during normal hours, he liked to think that years of casing palaces, mansions and various places full of money had given him a bit of an eye for architectural detail, fresh air... but it seemed he had traded boring court duties for other boring duties, only offering non-commital "Okay..." remarks when it looked as though Steiner needed him to make some sort of contribution. "So... Rusty," he yawned over the sound of the Pluto Knight's recruitment drive "is that everything or am I going to actually have to do something?" Zidane asked, dropping any pretence of paying attention.

"Your Grace-" Steiner began, ever formal.

"How many times have I asked you to stop calling me that?" Zidane asked, his tail swinging back and forth "we've been through enough that you can skip the formalities." he waved off.

"Zidane," Steiner corrected himself, still in a tone that made the blonde wince "I cannot officially make these decisions without approval, while it is an honour that you trust me, as King you are not merely the one who presses a seal into wax."

"I know, I know!" Zidane groaned, kicking a loose pebble across with a click "But you know this sort of thing way better than I do and it's not anything I can do just spur of the moment, everything has to have about five years of planning and plotting so I-" the blonde thief ranted, stopping to pause for breath before folding his arms in resignation over the battlements. "I've just got to work harder, keep at it..." he mumbled to himself, clutching the bridge of his nose. The shift from rags to royalty was a painful one, things expected of a monarch like ceremony, what's important for keeping a city running, what to do with the army, all subjects that anyone sitting next to the Queen's throne would have been well versed from an early age, while Zidane had spent his few younger years learning how to pick pockets and chase skirts, not order people around for some grand design that may or may not actually exist. "Actually, I've seen enough for today. Thanks Rusty..." he sighed as he pulled himself off the wall, trying to walk with a little more purpose back to the main castle, trying to make it seem as though he wasn't just sulking away.

Shedding the royal outfit the moment the heavy doors closed behind him, Zidane stretched out as he felt the cold marble underneath his feet, "Freedom..." he yawned as he made his way to the armoire

and reached for a switch at the back, flicking it to reveal one of the things nearest and dearest to his heart. A white undershirt, a turquoise waistcoat and a pair of blue slacks, just looking at them built a warmness of nostalgia that even the cold floor couldn't cool, putting them on was just the oh so comfortable icing on the cake. After ten years of wearing the same outfit again and again it still held it's appeal, such as adequate tail room, Zidane was so lost in his own past that he didn't even hear the door open and close until the party responsible made herself known. "That bad of a day?" The sweet tones of the queen were quick to snap him out of the stupor, spinning around to show his Dagger the awkward grin of guilt.

"Well, I just thought...heh..." he chuckled, shrugging his shoulders and scratching the back of his neck in a vain attempt to pass off his current attire as meaning nothing.

"That you long for the days of adventure on the open plain, camping underneath the moonlit sky, surrounded by friends, companions and lovers?" Dagger asked with her own grin, enjoying the sight of her husband sweating under her gaze.

"Yes! I mean no! I mean-" Zidane stumbled, trying to fit his mind around the situation before Dagger put a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Its alright," she sighed, looping her arms around her "I do to..." she whispered as her head gently pressed into his chest "It still feels rough as it ever was." she complained, raising her eyes to meet Zidane's with a coy glance.

"If you wanted me to take it off, my Queen," the king began in an overly theatrical tone, scooping Dagger off the floor with both arms to an excited giggle "then you only had to ask."

There were a few perks with the responsibilities, Zidane reflected under the weight of a million feathers, and the size of the bed was one of them. Wide enough for him to perform what he called "Kingly Duties" without either of the couple having to sleep in the resulting patch of sweat, even if it had lead to him sleeping dangerously close to the edge of the mattress. An unfortunate turn in an attempt to encase himself with more chocobo down had let him to slowly slip, consciousness returning quickly as he fell off the side in preparation for a collision with the tiles below that never came, instead Zidane's quickly outspread arms collided with what felt, sounded and collapsed like rotten timber as he fell further and further down.

The taste of dirt in his mouth forced his eyes to open and see what just happened, and a quick glance around told him nothing useful. Stained glass shone in light from every side, a slight buzz echoed in his ears and strangely enough, he was still wearing the outfit he had worn a year ago travelling the world. That last fact caused him to relax, a dream, that's what it was. One of those dreams that you become aware is actually a dream, so next he would turn to his side and see Dagger right next to him, in what appeared to be a flower bed, in the brown tights with the white top, gloves and yup, there it was!

Was he that desperate for a return to the old days that his dreams about them were becoming that more vivid? A strange world with weird lights and a church with a hole in the roof, he would have expected a different location, perhaps Black Mage Village or Dali instead of a place he had never seen, but he didn't claim to understand dreams, especially ones that smelt and sounded as though he was actually there in the strange place. Not with another girl nervously peeking her head through the door. "Um... hello?" He called out, pulling himself up of the dirt and flowers just as Dagger started to rise herself, feeling every ache as though he had taken a rather nasty fall... starting to feel as though there was something going on that he probably should have figured out by now.

"...Zidane?" Dagger groaned, shaking her head back and forth "Is this a ...where are we?" She asked, staggering back to her feet, a little unsure of her footing.

"I uh... don't know, my dreams are getting weird." He said, unable to think of anything else to say.

"But... your dream? I thought that... oh dear." Dagger replied, realization quickly dawning on her face.

"Crap..." Zidane groaned, scuffing the dirt with his heel as the same conclusion got through to him, not a dream. Strange place and not a dream, this was pretty bad.

"Ummm... excuse me, but could you not hurt the flowers?" The girl at the door asked.


	2. A Whole New World

Zidane was no stranger to waking up in strange places: haystacks, alleys, banquet halls even flowerbeds, although each of those usually had some rational explanation as to why the Genome had woken up there, most of them involving an unreasonable volume of alcohol by either him or his fellow members of Tantulus but this was the exception! Possibly. The blonde hadn't ruled out that someone was behind the large doors, trying not to burst out laughing.

 

But as time went on, and the confusion increased on both his and Dagger's faces as the young woman tried to explain that she had no idea what the two were talking about when they mentioned who they were or where they were from. Nor did she understand why Zidane had a tail, apparently no-one else in this... Midgar had tails. 'This could be a problem' the blonde thought, scratching the back of his head. They were in a strange place, no money, no place to rest, the important thing to do right now was remain calm and not start freaking out as they sat down on the church benches. It was time to look on the bright side.

 

They were wearing their old clothes that they'd used on their own adventure through Gaia and Terra so that was one thing they wouldn't have to worry about, Zidane had his steel daggers in their sheaths hung loosely around his waist, Dagger had found her old smooth staff right by the flowers meaning the couple were not defenceless in a strange land, and the local they had met was friendly and didn't seem to be too put off by the two effectively being aliens on the planet.

 

“...Sometimes I can hear it talking to me, it doesn't always make sense but it's a neat thing to be able to do when it works!” Aerith said to the Queen who was listening with a lot more interest than Zidane had been. He'd been zoning the conversation out and looking at the light falling through the windows. It seemed to him as though the sun was coming from both sides with how brightly lit the church was. Not even the Temple of the Hunt could be this lit up except with a hundred lanterns outside.

“That's really incredible Aerith!” Dagger let out with a bright smile on her face, if she had any worries about what was going on, she was hiding them well “I never thought of the planets themselves being sentient as such. I wonder if ours could speak, of if all the others are sentient and what they could say...”

“Others?” Aerith questioned, cocking her head to the side.

“Well, yes! If this planet can speak to certain people who live on it, I can't see why it wouldn't be the same for any planet in the night sky. Have you never looked up and wondered?” The Summoner continued.

“Oh! Nope, never.”

Now it was Dagger's turn to be at a loss. “Surely at some point...” she attempted to reason, trying to piece information together.

“I've never seen the sky... or at least I don't remember ever seeing the sky.” Aerith said as though it was the most normal thing possible.

“Wait,” Zidane jumped in, catching the tail end of the discussion as he quickly got to his feet. “If you've never seen the sky, how come there's light here?” He asked.

“Ohh right...” Aerith let out, making her own realization “If you two aren't from here then you wouldn't know about the plate.”

“Plate?” Came the synchronized response from Zidane and Dagger.

“It'd be quicker to show you, it's just right outside, come on!” the brown hair girl beckoned, walking towards the heavy doors.

 

Whatever Dagger and Zidane had been expecting from just the word 'Plate'. This was definitely not it. A monstrosity of metal and concrete hanging above houses, shacks made from junked metal half-buried under fallen dirt and debris with only the eerie hum of cold white artificial lights for illumination. The dirt was dried black with broken slabs of dull grey scattered across like patches of cobblestone. Even the air looked foul outside of the church, streams of dust slowly blew back and forth. “What...” was all Zidane could manage as he looked out onto the desolation. He had seen the polluted slums of Lindblum but even they would have gleamed compared to what existed under the Midgar plate.

“What happened here..?” Dagger whispered, her eyes wide in shock as she took in the scenery to the unfazed Aerith.

“This is Midgar, or at least under the plate Midgar.” She introduced, gesturing to the corrugated iron roofs, “My mom said that this used to be a town all on it's own before Shinra built on top of it. But now everyone just calls it sector 5,” the church girl went on as her boots scuffed the dirt, heading towards a mass of shacks. “I mean it's not all bad, on Fridays there's a market, and the water's clean.”

“But... how do you eat? If you can't get any sunlight, how are crops supposed to grow?” Dagger continued, keeping a brisk pace to keep up with Aerith while Zidane hung behind, arms behind his head as he walked down the impromptu street.

“A lot of it is bought from outside the city, but most is sold to the people living on top. Some of the lamps do help the flowers and the plants grow, so there's usually something, even if it tastes bad,” She dismissed with a wave of her hand. Pulling the hem of her floral print dress as she stepped into the remains of a giant pipe “My house is just through here. You're welcome to stay for a while, although mom will make you help with the cooking and other things. I'll say you're my bodyguards for a week or so.”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Zidane waved frantically, sprinting up back into earshot “We can't just stay for free at your place, we've only just met! And what do you mean by bodyguards? What were we protecting you... from...” The blonde stumbled through just in sight of Aerith's home.

Harshly contrasting from the scrapheap that was the rest of sector 5, Aerith's home was an oasis in the metallic desert. The massive pillar that dominated the landscape was shielded by a rock formation, the ground had been tiered to allow for a large garden to be built under the blue lights as a stream trickled through the artificial islands before disappearing underground. The house itself was grey stone and red slate, something that would not have looked out of place in Alexandria pressing up against the rusting wall connecting it to the rest of the Sector. Noticing the stunned expressions the church girl once again took charge in offering explanations “This river was here before they built the city. It's mostly underwater but they couldn't move this big rock... so this place became the place to grow stuff. My mom manages the garden and everyone only is allowed to take their fair share. Or Else.” She finished with a sweet smile.

“Okay...” Zidane let out, not entirely paying attention as he looked on the shocking beauty, staring up to confirm that yes, the ugly plate was still actually above his head. “But seriously, we can't just crash at your place out of the blue. I already crashed through something today.”

“Zidane's right, Aerith.” Dagger asserted, “I would be glad to meet your mother but I don't think we have any right to impose on her.”

“Tell me, do you have any money?” Aerith asked.

“Well... not as such, no.”

“Do you have anywhere else to stay?”

“Not yet, but I am sure that-”

“Well then!” The church girl declared, cutting any protest short “There's your reason, you've been helping me out so I'm helping you out now that you have no where else to go!”

“Eh heh...” Zidane chuckled nervously “You do have a point there...”

“Still, I couldn't- not without paying something in return.” Dagger said stubbornly.

“Then you'll just have to owe me one~” Aerith replied with a smile that was nothing but sweetness.

 

Elmyra was less than amused at her daughter's new companions, especially ones with such outrageous taste in clothing. At least she hadn't noticed the tail, which Zidane had done his best to stuff down the back of his trousers despite how much it itched. “We shan't be troubling you for long Miss Gainsborough,” Dagger offered diplomatically as Aerith grinned eagerly.

“I can sleep on the floor if you'd like.” Zidane added, feeling the pressure to add something to the awkward situation after being told that there was only one spare bed. His prior idea of 'We could share.' being kicked to the mental backlog of things to only be said in private with Dagger before anyone got the wrong idea.

Eventually Elmyra relented in the face of Aerith's endless determined optimism, allowing Dagger to claim the spare room while Zidane would be confined to a bedroll on the top floor. But the break did allow the Genome to return to a topic he wanted elaborated on. “So... you said we were your bodyguards?” He asked, fumbling with the plastic straps on what would be his comfort between skin and floorboards.

“Well... you know how I said you'd have to owe me one?” Aerith asked to the duo's collective groan. “What you said about looking up at the night's sky, I'd like to be able to do that.”

“Is it difficult to get on top?” Zidane asked as the bedroll unfolded

“No, but my mom won't let me go on my own, she says it's too dangerous to go out of the sector in case someone follows me. Buuut... if I have two bodyguards with me, there's no harm in that, is there?” She asked, hands clasped together.

Zidane and Garnet glanced at each other with a weak smile before turning back. “Do you mean tonight? Is it even night now? I can't tell.”

“It was sunset officially about... thirty minutes from now.” Aerith answered “So can we go? Please? Please?”

“Why not?” Zidane asked, cocking his head at Dagger.

“It would be an opportunity to learn more about this world.” Dagger agreed.

“Perfect! I'll get a few baskets and we can go!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: As a brief experiment, I'd like to introduce somewhat of a soundtrack for the various areas. Most of these should be searchable on Youtube for easy streaming with sources given if you want to support the music makers. Most other times, stick to the FFVII OST
> 
> Midgar Slums: Subcon Village-Echorobot Remix (A Hat In Time Official Soundtrack)
> 
> Please leave comments, feedback or general reviews if you have the time, thank you.


	3. Going Up

Struggling through the crowded station with baskets of wild flowers slung under-arm, the unlikely trio of a Genome, a Summoner and an Ancient boarded a train bound for the city above, gaining remarkable few glances despite their attire. Although Zidane could have sworn that he heard someone mutter “Larpers” under their breath from the seat opposite.

 

“So the plan is,” Aerith began, a smile beaming from her face as she tried to focus away from her own excitement “We get up to the surface, do a bit of exploring, a bit of stargazing, sell the flowers to people so we can afford a souvenir and maybe a few more things before we head home.”

 

“How much is reasonable for one flower?” Dagger asked, still trying to fit the flowers into something more easy to reach into than a heap.

 

“Hmm... I normally sell them for one gil each in the slums... so... one gil?” Aerith suggested, shrugging her shoulders.

 

“And how much did this train cost to travel on?” Dagger replied.

 

“Oh it was really cheap! Only 90 gil for the three of us,” Aerith said cheerfully before she got a glance at the expressions Zidane and Dagger were showing her.

 

“We only have 30 flowers. We can't even cover the cost of the journey if we sell for so little.” the queen explained, causing Aerith to break out a rare, annoyed frown.

 

“Well it seems a lot to ask for a flower we got for free.”

 

“But it's not like we got here for free,” Zidane argued, shifting up to his knees and twisting across the seat so he could face Aerith, “It cost 90 to get here and aren't there like dangers in the slums? You were saying something like monsters hanging around down there?”

 

“Well there's a couple and the bits under sector six are really bad so we couldn't go there even with you two watching me.”

 

“Then there we go! It's not just something you found for free, it's something you had to brave the monster infested slums and pay to get back here! That's gotta be worth at least... ten gil? I mean it's still not much, but that should be enough to buy something nice when we head back.”

 

“Hmmm...” Aerith pondered “But what if people don't have ten gil but still want one? We can't not give them something...aand then they can show other people what they have, and if they have the money, then we can ask them to pay twenty!” The flower girl suggested as the train car jolted to a halt, knocking the kneeling Zidane face first into his wife's lap.

 

“Some warning might have been nice...” the blonde groaned.

* * *

 

 

As soon as the three stepped out into the Sector 1 station, the difference between life on the surface and under the plate were stark. The station in the slums may have been built more solidly than nearly any other building it was still in a state of disrepair, debris swept into corners, the smell of mildew permeating through internal walls. But up on the surface, the station was encased in glass and steel, the concrete platforms were covered with a surface made to resemble marble. The metal lamp posts, far removed from the basic and bare versions below had been turned into decorations themselves instead of mere devises for illumination. Displays that wouldn't have looked out of place in the centre of Lindblum's Grand Castle were on full display in a public station. “Wow~” Aerith breathed, looking all around before Dagger kindly pulled her out of the path of a steel pillar she had nearly walked into. “I can't believe how different this is up here. I was expecting it to be the same only cleaner.”

 

“Come on, I thought you wanted to see the stars?” Dagger beckoned, usherring the flower girl towards the nearest exit and onto the streets of Upper Midgar. The glittering excess of the station behind them, the three from three different planets were treated to a new kind of excess, the view was dominated by Shinra Tower, higher than even Lindblum's airship dock, shining like a lighthouse out on to the night sky.

 

No stars were visible within the green hue of the tower, only Shinra. An intimidating and depressing sight. “Oh...” Dagger let out in disappointment as she looked at the towering monolith that dominated the skyline.

 

“Well... that's an impressive tower at least?” Zidane gestured, shrugging his shoulders as traffic roared in the road. “Come on, it's a city isn't it? There's got to be at least something to do here to make it up.”

 

Something turned out to be rows upon rows of brightly lit stores crammed underneath 9 floors of housing, displays behind glass and half-asleep clerks. The city never seemed to sleep and neither did it's people, stuffed moogles and chocobo toys were somewhat of a relieving sight for Zidane and Dagger to see as Aerith frantically searched her pockets to match the price tags. “Maybe you can save this for me when we come back with the money?” she asked sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes in an attempt to charm the shopkeep before scowling at their refusal.

 

“Okay, so they've got monsters apparently, Chocobos, moogles and Gil. So what else do they have?” Zidane asked, scratching his backside absent-mindedly.

 

“Well, I suppose that tower could qualify as a castle.”

 

“Magic?”

 

“Well there was one store who did advertise...”

 

“Ehhh probably a tourists scam. Like that one guy in Lindblum who tried to sell Mu drool as a potion.”

 

“I... never saw anyone in Linblum who did such a thing.”

 

“Oh.” Zidane paused, quickly realizing that the street rumour may have referred to a Tantulus scheme, or more precisely, himself. “Well, it's probably fake all the same.”

 

“Arggh!” Aerith let out, stomping her boots up the street in frustration to the married couple's surprise. “Right! Time to get to work!”She declared angrily, handing Zidane and Garnet a basket each. “We have Fifty minutes to get 250 gil or the shop closes,” she announced with her hands on her hip.

 

“So about the price per flower...”

 

“It doesn't matter! Do what works!”

 

Zidane cautiously backed away from the incensed Aerith, the young woman was clearly in no mood for games and sight seeing and set the two off together. Sales pitches were barely audiable over the background din, passers by generally preferring to avoid the three altogether than deal with social contact while they were on their own way, but some flowers did get sold. Some for a gil, some for 10 and some for more. Dagger's formal tone seemed to be a natural charm for the people living in the busy city but Zidane was having no such luck. There was an itch on the back of his mind, pulling him away from the tower as he tried to concentrate on selling the wildflowers, a whisper beneath the noise.

 

Turning around, he found the cause: a man with wild red hair dressed a loose dark blue jacket, blue trousers and an untucked white shirt leaning against the wall of an alley, keeping a very close eye on the three, too close even. “One sec,” he called out to Dagger and Aerith as he made his was towards the man calmly, trying to act as though nothing was wrong. The watcher didn't run off like the blond had expected, instead he stood his ground, pushing himself off the wall and slouching on his own as Zidane approached. On a closer look some of his hair had been tied back into a long ponytail, the rest was propped up by a pair of goggles underneath what would have been a fringe and strange red markings, framing his eyes when the goggles were off “Looking for something?” Zidane asked, raising a curious eyebrow.

 

“As a matter of fact, I am,” the man in the suit said with a smirk. “Those flowers,” he pointed “How much?”

 

“You could have come out and asked while we were yelling out.” Zidane replied.

 

“Well you see... there's a reason I can't go around asking two lovely ladies for some flowers...” he began, rolling his head back to look at the sky, “In fact, it's the reason I need flowers in the first place.”

 

“Let me guess, lady trouble of your own?” Zidane asked, with a smirk of his own.

 

“Got it in one! I'm on thin ice already, thought I'd make an effort...”

 

“...but if she sees you talking with other women there's no flower than can fix it.” Zidane finished as the man's head snapped down to meet Zidane's eyes again, a brief break in the smirk telling Zidane all he needed to know, and a waggle of his own eyebrows told the man that.

 

“Exactly. So how much for the basketful?”

 

“Hmm, I dunno... say... One thousand gil?” Zidane offered, gaining the desired reaction. The man's eyes shot wide as he jumped up straight.

 

“Dude?! How much?!” He snapped at the now laughing genome.

 

“Okay, okay...” Zidane wheezed, trying to force down the laughter “Six hundred. Twenty each.”

 

The red head regained his composure slowly “You've got some guts, kid.”

 

“Why not? Think about it, where else do you see these flowers? Real flowers, that you braved the countless horrors underneath the plate to get. That's got to be worth something for your special someone, and I reckon you can afford it, easy.” Zidane added, standing his ground with his hands on his hips. Now it was the red heads turn to laugh.

 

“Wow, do you even... no, you can't know who you're talking to, right?” He coughed through the laughter

 

“You never gave me your name, so how would I?” the thief kindly pointed out.

 

“Well then... the name's Reno, and I'll take the basket,” he said in a menacing tone, reaching for his pocket as Zidane tensed up slightly, “For five hundred gil.” he finished, pulling out a black leather wallet to Zidane's relief.

 

“Alright, but I keep the actual basket. Do you know how hard a decent one is to get in the slums?” the flowers were handed over, the money exchanged, and the two walked off in different directions as though nothing had happened.

 

He was barely around the corner when Reno dumped the flowers into the nearest bin and dug out his phone from within his dark jacket. “Bossman,” he began. “Yeah... I saw, talked to the boyfriend too... well he's either brave, stupid or stupidly brave to talk to me like that but uh... no it ain't a problem, just gotta find a better spot... gotcha... hey, before you patch in shades, I'm claiming the 500 back... maybe something small... let him know what happens to people who mess with the Turks... can we move a squad?... great, make sure they get pictures of him with the smirk wiped off.” The Turk finished before snapping the phone shut. Perhaps stakeout duty wasn't the absolute worst thing after all.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The good news is that I'm updating this, the bad news is that it seems to be stuck at once a month. Feedback is greatly appreciated 
> 
> Musical accompaniments for those that want them:
> 
> Midgar Surface: A Hat In Time Soundtrack - Scootin' through Mafia Town  
> 


	4. Silver Scrapes

Aerith slammed the money on the store counter with smug satisfaction and a new plush chocobo complete with a white hood, she hadn't asked how Zidane had managed to sell all his flowers so quickly but the church worker was not about to argue with results. “I can't wait to show Mom what we got!” she squealed while walking out with the Alexandrian royal couple in tow behind her “So, now where can we go? I promised her I'd be back in a few hours so there's no time to go see Loveless, and those tickets can get pretty pricey here...” she wondered, hugging the toy chocobo tightly.

 

“Loveless? What kind of show's that?” Asked Zidane, still looking towards the alley where he saw the redhead, getting a glimpse of what looked like a plant stalk sticking out of a rubbish bin across the street.

 

“Oh! It's a play that's really famous, I've never seen it but I hear people who have go on and on about it and see it lots of times. Apparently there's multiple endings to it so it's still uh... what's the word? Um...” Aerith responded, not noticing where the blonde was looking.

 

“Multiple endings to a play?” Dagger asked, who had noticed her husband's distraction and would later have Words, but for now was settling for a quizzical look.

 

“Well it was written with one ending, but most of the original got lost so from what I've heard each group that tries it writes their own version of how they think it finished,” “I- I read a few books about it at home.” She quickly justified without prompting while Zidane turned back around to a piercing glare.

 

“Hey! since this is everyone's first time, how about we all have a bit more time wondering around, maybe pick up something to eat somewhere.” Zidane suggested quickly, taking the lead suddenly and heading in the opposite direction to where he sold the flowers. “We know that's Shinra's building in the middle anyway so they probably won't let us too close anyway.” he said, waving his hand dismissively.

 

“Zidane-” Dagger began in a whisper with enough of an edge to it to match her namesake.

 

“What?” Zidane responded in a hushed defensive tone.

 

“What were you looking at back there?”

 

“I thought I saw someone I recognized back there. I mean I had to squint but he was a dead ringer for-”

 

“Zidane.” Dagger said, cutting off the blonde's freshly woven story.

 

“What?” Zidane asked, slightly louder this time.

 

“Who did you sell all your flowers too at once?”

 

“A guy in the suit who was desperate, kinda weirded me out but it doesn't matter, he's long gone.” Zidane answered deftly before Aerith ducked her head in between the hushed argument.

 

“Why are we whispering?” The flower girl asked, trying to match .

 

“Because our voices hurt from yelling about selling flowers. Also it's kinda fun.” The blonde whispered back.

 

“Okay. I don't believe you.” Aerith responded, barely containing a giggle at the look of sudden bewilderment on Zidane's face.

 

“So uh...” Zidane said loudly with an over-dramatic cough. “What's the big building up ahead? The one that looks like it's a giant chimney?” He asked, pointing straight down the road to the steaming tower jutting above the skyline.

 

“Oh that? That's the- that's the... I think it's the Mako reactor?”Aerith answered “They're what makes all the electricity to keep the lights on, but I don't think that it's free to wander around-” she continued but Zidane had stopped listening as he focused on the reactor in the distance, a faint green sheen emanating from the top, just below the steam, pulling his eyes up to it and filling the blonde with a sense of familiar dread.

 

“I'll be right back.” He said abruptly, spinning around to wave goodbye before sprinting off down the road, heading right towards it.

 

“Zidane!?” Dagger called out in surprise, stuffing the bag currently holding the few remaining flowers and their new chocobo guardian under her arm in preparation to chase after Zidane.

 

“FIVE MINUTES!” Came the rapidly moving reply as the Genome dashed through the sleeping streets. Dagger resisted the urge to say something like 'I cannot believe' and instead opted to run after him, leaving Aerith to awkwardly follow behind.

 

The green glow that shone along the top could now be seen running down the sides in thin lines down the outside, piercing through the yellow hew that was Midgar's artificial light as Zidane ran toward it, the houses that lined the streets with brick and concrete giving way to barbed wire and metal fences as he hurried down the path for as long as he could before it ended in a locked gate, the edges painted black and yellow as a sign saying “Restricted” flashed overhead. “Damn!” he cursed, kicking his heel against the asphalt, the green glow still taunting him in between a network of blackened pipes. Teenage-trained instincts kicked in as he scanned the area, looking for a way in: a gap in the fencing, a nearby building to scale and hop across, a platform where her could walk the rails to, something! His head was thumping, was he just imagining things? Were they just supposed to glow like that? A lot of things could glow, what difference did a shade make? He closed his eyes to try and fight the rapidly developing headache, but when he opened his eyes he saw the difference a shade of colour could make first hand.

 

The colours of the world had begun to fade, the vibrant yellow and black dulling to a pale cream and grey, the lights of a nearby street light seemed to be illuminating the road with a shade of Magnolia instead of the bright white. The only thing that had maintained it's true colour, was the reactor itself.

 

The Green lines that had neatly run down the tower before, only changing direction at rigid points not unlike the pipe network beyond the gate had changed, they criss-crossed the tower, wrapping themselves around in a distressingly organic manner. Ivy on a concrete wall, all the while pulsing in the same sickening green. “What are you?” Zidane whispered to himself, reaching out to touch the gate, preparing to climb it before a hand shot through.

 

The gate had been solid steel, but the pale hand reached out as though there had been nothing there at all. It was adorned with a gold ring on the middle finger and a black glove covering the palm, a white baggy sleeve that was seemingly made of silk passed through after, but Zidane had stopped looking at what this ghostly figure was wearing. The figure had phased through the security gate far enough to see it's face. The face was distorted by terror, its eyes shot wide, the skin pale, but even so: Zidane recognized the pale blue iris, the lips that were faintly painted purple and the few locks of silver hair. “Kuja?!” Zidane yelled, jumping backwards into the road as the rest of the ghost barrelled through. From the purple pauldrons without the rest of the armour to the pointed boots, there was no mistaking it from appearance alone. There was only one person who could ever think to dress like that, let alone pull it off. But this ghost didn't seem to notice Zidane standing as it flew through, occasionally twisting his head to look back at the tower before pushing himself further away. A rare jerk of the leg giving the impression that he was desperately trying to avoid being sucked up into a whirlpool as it disappeared into the night.

 

A shout of “Hey you!” Snapped Zidane back to reality, even if he had to blink away the spots for the bright lights. A shout of “Hey you!” was familiar enough to be reassuring, even if it usually meant that he was in trouble, what with the people trying to get his attention not even trying to be polite about it, and probably waving swords. In fact, there even was a guy waving a sword!

* * *

 

 

1st Sargent Anders of the Midgar Domestic Security division was not having a fun patrol. He had been given a bunch of cadets to get them some decent-ish experience of life on the street with a dash of monster clearing in the slums. They could have even had a chance to use one of the new Scorpion bots for clearing duty as a way to say: “So what if you didn't make it into SOLDIER, you get to use a giant mechanical spider and that's way cooler!” but unfortunately instead of a piece of tech to control, he was assigned a member of SOLDIER for the purposes of upstaging him and the cadets. He may have only been 3rd class, and someone that the Sargent was pretty sure he could handle one on one, but all the cadets could talk about in the idle chit-chat that they hoped he didn't notice was how cool SOLDIER was, how the 3rd class had cut a Hedgehog Pie in two with one swing.

 

The train carrying them out of the slums pulled into the reactor station for the last stage, a drive back to Shinra Tower in a waiting truck was all that was between the Sargent and a hot meal, but before he could get in, a message was pinged to his and the SOLDIER's info pad. “What is it this time... serial thief spotted?” He growled out, right on his patrol path too! It was as though someone out there had gone out of their way to screw with him tonight. “Give me a break...”

 

“Nothing I can't handle, I'll tell you to stop if I see him.” Said the SOLDIER, unaware of the anger building behind him as he jumped off the train and up the stairs.

 

“Should we keep a look out as well Sargent?” Asked one of the cadets, trying to peer round to see the profile that was still up on the pad. Blonde, young-ish, short, wearing a blue waistcoat was the description, as well as a list of items stolen including 1000 gil from the office of the Turks. No name, curiously enough.

 

“Keep a lookout but don't do anything stupid,” Anders ordered “If that man's got balls enough to rob the Turks we could be looking at a serious problem here so I don't want anyone trying to be a hero here. Watch each other's backs and-” he continued to address before he heard the distant cry of “Hey you!” from the voice he'd grown to despise over the past 5 hours. “And move out!”

* * *

 

“Sorry, Sir!” Zidane called to the man in a helmet waving a long sword at him “I was just leaving, think I might have gotten a little lost, that's all.” It always stood to be polite when someone had their hands on their weapon and he didn't. It cost nothing and probably paid a good deal in not getting slashed at. Although the man in blue was not swayed by a simple promise to no longer trespass.

 

“Don't you 'sir' at me, thief!” He yelled back, charging in with his sword raised, swinging high at the blonde with the flat of his blade, attempting to knock the accused down to the ground. But attempt was all he could do as Zidane ducked underneath the swing holding his arms out in a protest of innocence.

 

“Thief? Come on! I've only been here a few hours!” Zidane called out, jumping over another swing much to the armoured man's surprise. He clearly wasn't expecting the blonde to have dodged the first, the second strike was even slower than that, possibly from shock. “I think you've got the wrong guy here.”

 

“Ngghh!” Roared the helmeted assailant as he pulled back, opting instead to thrust the point of his blade at the point where Zidane's side had been just a split second previous. A clatter of footsteps added to the sounds of effort as a few more men rounded up towards where the two were fighting.

 

“Sir! There he is!” One of the newcomers called as Zidane sighed, no help for him then.

 

“I see him too cadet, I've got eyes. And that's Sargent, I work for a living!” Another one barked back while the rest pointed their weapons into the melee. “Hold fire! You'll hit the SOLDIER. Let him handle it.” He ordered, a small sinister smile creeping on his face as he reached into his pack for a cigarette. This day might not be so bad after all.

 

“Stand still thief! Time to teach you that no-one steals from Shinra!” The SOLDIER called out, swinging left and right to hit Zidane but to no avail.

 

“What?” Zidane asked, rolling past his attacker gracefully, a hand briefly shooting out before the blonde took a few steps away, proudly holding a leather wallet between his fingers. “You mean like that?” He asked again, waving it in front of the SOLDIER to the predictable but satisfying reaction of him immediately patting himself down to confirm that yes, that was his wallet now in Zidane's hand. He hadn't even felt a thing.

 

“H-how? Hey! Give that back!” He cried in frustration, to which Zidane bowed and offered the wallet back without a further fight, to which the SOLDIER made the decision that now he was nice and angry, the 20th reckless swing would work for sure. The sword hit nothing but a light post which Zidane had backed up into, jerking his arm as metal hit metal, cutting in half way before a shower of sparks burst out, blasting the SOLDIER away with a zap and sending him sprawling onto the road with a pained groan.

 

“Can you believe this?” Zidane asked to the cadets, flipping the wallet onto the SOLDIER as the light flickered out above him “Here I was and this guy just runs out and starts swinging? You look like you're in charge here,” the blonde continued walking up to the Sargent who was smiling while the rest kept their weapons trained on him. “Could you get that guy some help? I don't think he's all there, and that was before he got blasted away.”

 

“For him, yes,” Sargent Anders said, signalling for the cadets to put their guns down, “For you?” he asked, spitting out his cigarette and grinding it under his heel while the rest drew out metal clubs instead “Not so much."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra long chapter because of the extra long wait in updating! Not sure if they'll be this long from now on or this is going to be a one off, any feedback will be greatly appreciated. 
> 
>  
> 
> Bonus music tracks
> 
> 3rd Class vs Zidane: LISA The Hopeful OST: The Twist.


	5. Brawling in the Streets

Sandals flopped along the asphalt as Aerith tried to keep pace with the accelerating queen. “Why are we running?” she called out, struggling to balance a rise in speed with an increased number of items to hold.

 

“Because-” Dagger called back without looking as she briskly jogged the way Zidane had run down “If there's one thing I know about Zidane is that if he runs off without an explanation it means that there's going to be trouble heading his way.”

 

“Didn't he-” Aerith panted, “didn't he already do that before when we were selling flowers?” she asked, placing a hand on a convenient window so she could stop and breathe “How do you run so fast?”

 

“Several years practice,” Dagger replied with a smidgen of pride, from practising escape routes in Alexndria castle to climbing along mountain paths, the queen was pleased with her own athletic prowess and ability to move fast in most footwear “And I'm sure that is going to be something that causes trouble anyway!” she declared, stopping with her hands on her hips to let the flower girl recover and so she could listen out for tell tale signs about where Zidane could have gotten to. Like the sound of authoritative yelling and yelps of surprised agony. “This way!”

 

Dagger had a firm idea of what she was going to find Zidane doing when she ran into him again and the scene that was slowly being rolled out in front of her was almost too perfect to her idea: the blonde somehow winding up in the centre of a melee of what looked to be the local equivalent of the city watch trying to subdue him. She sighed and shook her head, long hair swaying back and forth as she waited for her husband to realize that she was watching him.

 

It seemed that people in this world had a difficult time grasping both people and concepts, Zidane was ducking and weaving through punches and baton swings that the only people the Shinra cadets managed to hit were other Shinra cadets, “I can explain!” the blonde called out of the people pile as another fellow tried his luck with a downward swing, cracking the polymer baton at where the genome's spine had been a brief moment ago but was now occupied by someone else's leg. “Just give me a moment!” he yelled over the cry of pain.

 

Aerith made the last few steps to catch up to the fracas, looking increasingly panicked at the one sided fight in front of her. “Should we do something?” she asked tentatively as one of the combatants seemed to be crawling away, clutching at his helmet as he shook every few paces.

 

“I think he's fine.” Dagger said curtly, tapping her foot as the man in charge moved over to the duo.

 

“Okay ladies, I'm gonna need you to take a couple of steps back, this is an official Shinra operation.” Anders said, waving Dagger and Aerith off as another miss-timed punch was answered by a yell of “What the hell, Strife?” and a hastily replied “Sorry!” from another young voice. “There's nothing to see here.” Sargent Anders insisted, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.

 

The man crawling away managed to get to the sparking lamp post and back onto his feet, staggering over to the Sargent while Dagger looked on through the gaps in her fingers, her palm cradling her face from embarrassment “Re-enforcements will be here in a moment Sargent. SOLSIER will take this from there.” He said, trying to pull himself straight as Anders resisted the urge to argue at how big of a hassle this was turning out to be.

 

Meanwhile in the big ball of violence that was now kicking up an appropriately comedic dust cloud, Zidane reached in to get the ear of one of the people trying to swing at him. These guards were barely teenagers, poorly trained and the blonde was starting to feel sorry for them. “You're Strife, right? Got any other names?” he asked, pulling him both out of the way of another swing and to get in closer.

 

“C-Cloud!” The young cadet replied, not 100% sure as to what was going on, after the 3rd Class Soldier had failed to land a single hit, he was feeling very insecure.

 

“Okay Cloud, this is getting silly so I'm gonna help you out and make you look good. Give you a free hit because otherwise everyone's going to think you messed this whole thing up for them.” Zidane whispered quickly.

 

“What?” Cloud yelled.

 

“Keep it down!” Zidane hissed “Okay, when I say 'Fandango' you punch me in the face. It has to be a punch, not a stick strike, I'll go backwards and then you look like a hero, right? Got it? Good.” he explained, waiting for Cloud to show that he had some idea what was going on, ducked someone else's swing and let out a quick “Fandango!”

 

Cloud shoved his fellow cadets out of the way with his elbow before he let out a roar and swung his fist upwards with a wild uppercut, Zidane simply smiled as he held his jaw out, smugly waiting for the blow before realizing he had made a severely poor move. The blow launched the genome off his feet, sending him first flying and then rolling backwards until his shoulders hit a lamp post, head still spinning as he tried to work out where the herd of chocobos that hit him came from. Cloud was as surprised at this turn of events as everyone else as he stood in the middle of a bunch of lightly groaning bodies with his fist raised. “Uhhh... got him Sarge?” he suggested, his body seemingly frozen to the spot.

 

Dagger sighed as she hurried over to Zidane, pale energies glowing in her hands as she pressed the healing magic to her husband's forehead. “This is gonna be one of those 'You know I love you but' conversations, isn't it.” the blonde joked with a weak smile. “Honestly, this is just a big misunderstanding that got out of hand.” He tried to explain to the scowling queen, feeling worse even though the pain was already fading.

 

“Alright! Back up!” Sargent Anders yelled, pulling Dagger forcefully away from Zidane, much to both parties' protest. “Young missy, this man is wanted on suspicion of multiple counts of theft across several days and now about ten cases of resisting arrest. That means that unless you want to be arrested as an accessory, you Do Not Get Involved and Heal!” the man barked as the rest of the cadets rallied and pointed their weapons at the now scowling Zidane.

 

“Several days?” Dagger repeated, her face twisting in indignation and confusion as she was hoisted backwards “That's ridiculous! We haven't been in this city for a single night and you, sir, are saying that he is a hardened criminal with a list of offences despite only stepping foot in this locale less than eight hours ago!” The queen yelled, shaking off the initial grip. “You should be ashamed of yourselves!” She declared in her most authoritative tone with her hands on her hips, enough to make several of the cadets reflexively wince before the Sargent went to restrain her once again.

 

The situation was not getting better, diplomatically anyway. These guards were the old school “Only orders from a superior matter, not trivial things such as logic” types. Or at least the Sargent was, with the younger ones just trying not to get in trouble and following the same behaviour. Talking their way out was never going to be an option for the blonde and now that Dagger had gotten involved, neither was running away. The wince might have been brief, but it was visible and all Zidane needed. A background of fights in his youth, years of adventuring through different planets taking on monsters that would have made these kids flee in terror, he didn't need much to take care of this group if he was actually going to fight this time.

 

Cloud was the first to fall, a swift elbow to the gut doubling the cadet over allowing the Genome to use him as a human shield against the other cadets followed by a forceful boot to the base of the spine, pushing him into the crowd. “That's en- what the!?” Anders let out as he turned around to see Zidane jumping onto two of the unit's shoulders, reaching up to grab them by the helmets before falling off, driving their (thankfully protected) skulls into the ground, cracking the glass visors. One who managed to point his gun at Zidane barely got time to pull the trigger before he was nose-to-nose with his intended target and slapped in the throat, reducing him to a pile painful sounding choking noises on the floor as the blonde kicked the weapon away, Anders watching aghast.

 

“Okay,” Zidane sighed, rolling back his right shoulder as he walked towards the Sargent “see, calling me a thief is one thing, threats I can deal with, pointing weapons at me? It's no problem,” the blonde said in a relaxed tone, stepping over the writhing bodies.

 

“S-stay back! Anders yelled, gun in one hand, Dagger's wrist in the other as he back-pedalled away from the advancing genome.

 

“But what you really shouldn't have done... and what you're still doing wrong here,” Zidane continued as his voice dropped to hushed tones, hand on the pommel of his weapon and the glint of metal just hinting at the fate in store.

 

“I'm warning you!”

 

“You really should not have tried to scare someone I care about.” He whispered, unsheathing the short blade and rolling to the side, feeling the whiz of a bullet fly past before pouncing on the Sargent, knife ready in hand. Anders covered his eyes in terror, whatever he and his unit had stumbled on was not natural, and now he was going to die on what should have been a routine procedure, he'd avoided the front lines against Wutai but death had come screaming to meet him in Midgar. Just waiting for the feeling of his flesh being cut with a dull clang.

 

Wait.

 

Dull clang? When was that the sound getting cut made? That was more... something on metal. Chancing lowering his arms, he was greeted by a long sheet of sharpened steel in front of him, blocking the blonde's attack. “You okay back there?” Came a voice to his right, a mass of black spiky hair on top of a second class SOLDIER uniform tilted towards him “Looks like I got here just in time.” The newcomer said, that was the last Sargent Anders saw before the ordeal after a long day became too much and collapsed. “Uh... maybe not just in time?”

 

Zidane bounced back from his lunge, skidding on the tarmac as he let up. “Oh man, they just keep coming...” he groaned, twisting the long knife back around, now there was another sword wielder here.

 

“You know, you can't just go around trying to hit people with a blade handle. That could have really hurt.” The new swordsman said with a bright grin. “Don't worry ladies!” he called back to the once-again freed Dagger and Aerith “Zack Fair to the rescue!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will hopefully get through fighting soon-ish, unless people are liking that, in which case unfortunately we'll soon be done with the fighting.
> 
> Music:  
> Zidane vs Cadet Grunts: Xenoblade Chronicles X - Black Tar   
> Zack Appears: Crisis Core - Encounter


	6. Still More Fighting

Zack Fair swung his sword in front of him dramatically, looking around at the groaning bodies thrown everywhere along the road. “Whoa... what did I miss?” He asked no-one in particular before re-focussing on the exasperated looking Zidane. “Probably should have done more of a warm up for this, ah well. Can't have everything,” The dark haired Soldier chuckled to himself before beckoning Zidane on. “Let's see how you fight against the real deal now!”

 

“Yeaah... no.” Zidane said, holstering his blade at his hip and dusting himself off “Sorry spike, but I'm not really feeling it any more.” the blonde shrugged.

 

“Huh? What?” Zack let out, his jaw dropping and his shoulders slacking. “You can't just back out now! There's like two... four... a bunch of bodies around you!” he protested. “Come on! I ran all the way from the 49th floor of Shinra tower for this! We've got to have a dramatic showdown after this, it's like the rules or something.”

 

“Mr Fair,” Dagger piped up from the sidelines, rubbing the formally grabbed arm “this whole scenario has been one long series of misunderstandings leading to unfortunate altercations, where this man has had no choice but to defend himself against blatantly false accusations due to the fact it seems to be policy to swing a sword first and ask questions later.”

 

“Uh well...” Zack began, stumbling for something to say “Hey, I'm not the bad guy here!” he protested, propping his sword against the tarmac “Someone here called for backup, saying they were facing a threat that needed at least Second Class Soldiers on the case, I get here and now you're saying that it was all one big misunderstanding?”

 

“Yup!” Chimed Aerith “We were pretty confused about it too.”

 

“Ah-” Zack groaned, this had gotten way more complicated than he was expecting. What happened to the rush in and save the day plan? “So you two... are actually with him?” He asked pointing at the blonde who responded by rolling his eyes and nodding. “So those guys...”

 

“Declared him responsible for a crime wave lasting days despite only arriving here earlier today.” Dagger finished, glaring at the spiky haired swordsman harshly.

 

“Seriously?” Zack let up in frustration. “So why did they go for you in the first place?” He asked Zidane.

 

“It was probably due to this arrest warrant.” A voice echoed down the road, footsteps audible above the distant roar of the city at night.

 

“A-Angeal!” Zack yelped, quickly rising to attention “Why are you here?” he asked before quickly adding “Sir!” to the end.

 

Angeal towered over everyone in the street, dressed in a black turtle-neck with metal pauldrons covering most of his upper arms. His military boots and simple trousers didn't do much to distinguish him from either Zack or the Third Class' uniform apart from a different colour, but the way he carried himself did. How calm he was as he walked in, not even bothering to draw the sword either at his hip or the heavy slab of metal that was attached to his back. It looked as though someone had ripped apart a tank's armour and had sharpened one of the edges to a sinister looking blade. Zidane was amazed he was walking around with that thing strapped to his back, let alone having the potential to swing it around.

 

“I was wondering why one of my personal trainees was so quick to leave a training session, despite him normally sticking around for another hour on the simulators.” Angeal answered, placing a hand on the stiffening Second Class' shoulder. “Relax, Zack. You're not in any trouble.”

 

“Am I still in trouble?” Zidane asked out, a small goofy grin.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Aww man.” the blonde groaned.

 

“These warrants can only be made by someone with enough authority to access high levels of Shinra security. There's even a picture of you attached as proof that it's you they were after,” Angeal explained as Zidane tensed, his hands reaching down to grasp hold of his weapons “However,” he said, raising up his hand. “This is the first I've seen or heard about these robberies. Especially ones at our HQ. The order seems legitimate but there is a good chance that it is mistaken. So I'm giving you a chance in turn. Zack, ready your sword.”

 

“Wait, what?” Came the cry from both Zidane and Zack.

 

“See if he fights with honour, something a thief normally lacks. Think of it as extra training for you.”

 

“Got it sir!” Zack replied with enthusiasm, picking his sword up and getting ready to fight once again.

 

“Really?” Zidane protested “We're doing trial by combat here?”

 

“You don't have to win to convince me. But you do have to fight for it.” Angeal said, “Now, Begin!” he called. It didn't even seem as though he had finished the last word with the speed at which Zack charged in, sword raised and ready to swing at the Genome who hadn't even drawn his weapon yet.

 

Zack's swing was fast but once again Zidane was faster, swiftly drawing his weapon to block the impact in the time it took for the black haired man to wind up for the swing, even if the impact rocked him back on his heels. Zack was strong and had the bigger weapon, Zidane couldn't just parry it like a knife fight without feeling the impact shake his arm.

 

“This is ridiculous!” Dagger protested, standing in front of the watching Angeal. “If you believe the accusations to be false, why bother with this at all?” she demanded as Zack was forced to back away from a swiping knife “They could both be hurt for no reason!”

 

“There are reasons,” Angeal commented, nodding as Zidane side-stepped an overhead swing from the eager Zack. “Besides, watch their motions and tell me what you see.”

 

Dagger fumed as she spun around to view the ensuing battle, Zack darting straight towards the blonde while Zidane twisted, ducked and parried each attempt with only a brief lunge at the spiky haired Soldier's arm in about 3 of Zack's swings, Zidane looking a lot more serious than he had with the guards “He's barely getting a chance...” Dagger whispered.

 

“Barely taking a chance,” Angeal corrected with a soft smile before calling out. “Act serious Zack, do you goof off this badly in training?” he asked, knowing full well the answer was Yes.

 

“Come on!” Zack let out as the two fighters' blades clashed again “Put up a fight will ya?”

 

“I should be asking you to do that first,” Zidane taunted, dropping himself into a low slide and letting Zack stagger over him “But if you insist...” he whistled, reaching his other hand down and drawing out his second blade before whirling in.

 

“Whoa!!” Zack yelled out as he raised his sword to block the torrent of blows heading in his direction, using the blade to push aside near lunges and parry quick swipes before rolling away as Zidane was left to gloat.

 

“Little too much? Want me to go back to one dagger here?” Zidane asked, posing rather than pressing the assault. “Should have learned that the sly eagle hides its claws.”

 

“Just fine,” Zack replied, a big grin on his face “Just wish we could have got this started sooner. I was all ready to go from the start.” He yelled, charging back in with such ferocity that Zidane was forced to use both blades to block the new assault.

 

“Alright, charging porcupine. You asked for it!” Zidane called out back, ducking another swing before literally jumping into action, landing and balancing on the out-stretched sword.

 

“H-hey! You're scuffing the blade.” Zack protested as he tried to maintain balance, keeping both the heavy sword and the genome balancing on it up before Zidane stepped off the sword and onto Zack's head, letting the extra weight topple the Soldier over as the blonde leapt off just before impact. “Ugh!” Zack groaned on the ground, the fight was going bad enough without Angeal watching him like this, it was embarrassing! “Oww... You're not the only one with hidden claws here,” he declared, reching for a small green orb at the base of his sword. “Dodge this! Fire!” He called out, the orb glowing bright green as a small red beard appeared just behind Zidane.

 

“Wait, you're a mage?” Zidane asked with a shocked expression, twisting and turning in a panic before the small bead exploded into a fireball “Aaah!” Yelled the blonde as he started running around, the back of his trousers having caught alight. Regaining a sense of sanity beyond the sudden burning sensation, Zidane dropped to the street, rolling along the rough tarmac to extinguish the localized blaze. “How is that fighting with honour!?” He yelled, briefly unaware of the expressions on everyone's faces. “What?”

 

“Zidane...your tail...” Dagger said, gesturing behind the blonde. True enough, the blonde tail that Zidane had been concealing down his trouser leg had pulled free to avoid the fire on instinct and was now visible above him to everyone staring at it.

 

“No way...” Zack gasped, pulling himself up to his knees “What... what are you?”

 

“That's enough,” Angeal called, striding forwards in between the two, holding out another glowing orb. “Cure.” He whispered as a green light enveloped both Zack and Zidane. The burning sensation and the scratches fading from the Genome while the boot print and headache faded from the Soldier. “Sorry to have troubled you. Mistaken identity.” He declared.

 

“Wait, is that it?” Zack asked, pulling himself to his feet. “We're done here?”

 

“Not quite,” he said, pulling out a black wallet and reaching inside. “Some compensation for all the trouble we've caused you,” he said, offering Dagger a hand full of thousand gil notes. “The warrant clearly said young man, not young man with a tail. We'll make sure there are no consequences from any of the events tonight... except some lessons about rashness for some people.” He explained before Dagger could argue against him. “Run along, I'll take care of the people who got hurt tonight.”

 

“Yes thank you very much we really need to be heading home right now it was nice to meet you byeee.” Zidane said quickly, marching his way to lead Dagger and Aerith away from the fight scene and back to the station.

 

“Just one last thing.” Angeal called as the three were leaving “You've got some amazing talent, if you fancy using it for a good cause, ask for me at Shinra headquarters. Soldier always has room for someone like you.”

 

“Sorry, I'm already committed to my own cause.” Zidane called back before leaving the Soldiers alone with the fallen guards.

 

“So what do you reckon he is?” Zack asked once the three were out of earshot. “Monster hybrid, monkey man, isn't there a legend about a monkey trickster in Wutai?”

 

“I don't know...” confessed Angeal “But he seems smart and harmless enough.”

 

“No offence, but you weren't the guy he was pointing a knife at.”

 

“True, and I could also see that he could have killed you nine times over, but refused each time.”

 

“Nine?” Zack whined.

 

“Don't feel too bad, I've been on the other side of worse, comes with training with Sephiroth.” Angeal reassured him “Something you have to learn is that there will always be people stronger than you, even if you haven't met them. But don't let it stop you from getting stronger.” He said, looking up at an open window, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

 

“I guess... gotta stick to more training. See if we can find anyone who can run simulations of that guy to practice against.” Zack said, helping some of the guards get back to their feet, Cloud attempting a salute while still staggering.

 

“That might be easier than you think...” Angeal muttered in a surprisingly harsh tone.

 

* * *

 

 

“So, do you plan on ever telling me what was so vital you had to rush off for?” Dagger asked, handing the cash over to Aerith.

 

“Saw a ghost...” Zidane replied.

 

“Seriously, Zidane.”

 

“I was.”

 

Dagger stopped cold in the street, twisting to meet Zidane's gaze. Her expression softening, “Of who?”

 

“...Kuja...”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter out. I blame procrastination and the NJPW G1 Climax. I can't type and watch people get dropped on their heads at the same time.
> 
> Soundtrack:  
> Standoff falls flat - Hat In Time OST: Oh it's you.  
> Angeal appears - Persona 5 OST: Tension  
> Zidane vs Zack - FFIX OST: Vama Al Flamenco  
> Aftermath - FFVII OST: Midgar Slums


	7. City of Darkness

The ride back to the Midgar slums was sober and quiet, King and Queen alike shooting down any attempt at a public discussion on any subject no matter how many times Aerith would ask in the hour long journey around the central pillar from the plate to the ground. It was getting to the point that the Flower Girl was starting to sarcastically mouth “We'll talk later” with her arms folded in a childlike huff around her chocobo plush as the train pulled into it's destination.

 

“So is now later enough for you?” She asked sharply, spinning around on her doormat impatiently.

 

Zidane scratched the back of his head and sighed, trying to avoid her glare to no avail “Are you sure you want to know?” He asked, wincing away from Aerith's expression.

 

“YES!” was the yelled reply “I mean seriously! I thought we were trying to be helpful with each other. Not hide things away because they're awkward to talk about,” Aerith insisted, eyes full of determination “So who's this Kuja? Why is he a ghost? What's going on?” she demanded, a grip around the toy's throat as she placed her hands on her hips.

 

“It's...” Dagger began, various thoughts crossing through her mind, how to explain everything that happened to her, Zidane and the rest of the world to someone who had never been there, never seen the poison in the sky that was Mist, cities torn apart by war and magic “Can we at least go inside and talk about this? It'll be easier if we don't have to stand.” the queen asked, “Some of the events are... not ones to speak about openly. We will tell you!” she added hastily “But... it should be in a more comfortable place.”

 

Still unimpressed about what she saw as a delaying tactic, Aerith muttered something under her breath and opened the door, stepping inside while dragging her heels along the floor, making her opinion on the matter well known before flopping down into a chair at the table. “Okay then.”

 

* * *

 

Reno was not having the best of days, and that was before someone had told him to tuck in his shirt. First of all he was being led to the 67th floor of the Shinra building, part of the laboratory complex and home away from home for an individual that even the covert operation and wetwork specialists known as the Turks considered “Seriously messed up.” Second... well, he was having to actually meet the aforementioned seriously messed up person.

 

Professor Hojo was someone everyone in Shinra avoided if they could, even before he was promoted to the head of research over Professor Gast's dead body. The way he could take even the purest of creatures and twist them into ghastly monstrosities just to test that he could, how he smiled at people in a way that seemed as though he was measuring the other person for a test tube. Reno did not consider himself in any way to be a religious man, but if there was anything unholy in this world, it was the Professor.

 

The metal door, laced with yellow and black warning signs whisked aside, revealing the dimly lit lab to the wider world for all the five seconds it could stomach of it. “Ah, you're the one they sent on ...surveillance.” Came a voice from the shadows, framed by an eerie green glow from a nearby tank, something unmentionable floating inside as he turned around. Greasy black hair had been pulled into a pony tail so tight that it occasionally oozed, large spectacles reflected any light shielding anyone from looking directly into his eyes as he smiled his mirthless smile.

 

Reno opted to try and focus on a bit of wall slightly above and to the left of where Professor Hojo stood. “I was.” he answered firmly, trying not to add a sarcastic 'Sir' at the end.

 

“It's not often people send me things I enjoy, Reno, that is your name, is it not?” The professer asked, spinning back around to whatever he was viewing

 

“Yes.” the red-head answered through gritted teeth.

 

“I tend to have to ask for research specimens, repeatedly, before someone finally works up the nerve to deliver what I asked for. Often it can take years, despite the object in question being one easily retrievable with only a slight amount of force.” Hojo said in a wistful tone “Could you have any idea what I'm talking about Reno?”

 

“No.” Was the reply.

 

“Pity, perhaps if you had been better informed we wouldn't be having this conversation, you see it has been thirteen years since I requested the aid of the Turks in retrieving the last known surviving Centra after she escaped this building, and despite your supposedly vast information network, not a peep about the escapee. It's almost as though you were hiding something from your superiors.” the professor continued.

 

“Couldn't say. You'd have to ask the boss about that.” Reno said with a straight face, counting down the seconds until he could just leave and drown any memories about this in a bottle of rum.

 

“And yet, without prompting... you may have given me something much better...” Hojo practically purred out, pressing a few buttons on a keyboard and projecting a quick video up on the wall, just where Reno was gazing. The Turk instantly groaned with recognition, his earlier plan to humble a cocky blonde had backfired spectacularly instead resulting in something that could have been shown in cinemas if they had multiple camera angles. “Such a talent... where have you been hiding all this time? Years of research that might have been saved.”

 

While being in the same room as Hojo was sickening, Reno's curiosity and confusion briefly won out “The monkey kid's that big of a deal?”

 

“The Monkey!?” Hojo snapped, rounding on the Turk, marching so close that Reno could see just how wide his eyes were, crazed even. “The blonde is immaterial! There!” He pointed just as the footage showed Dagger casting her healing magic “Do you not see!? After years waiting for you to chase down the half-breed, finally you prove yourself useful!”

 

“Great, so can I go now?” Reno asked, already edging towards the closed door. “There's this big party going on down in the lobby in a few days and they really need all the staff they can get to set up so-”

 

“True magic!” Hojo declared, throwing his hands into the air as he laughed manically, turning back to fixate on the grainy footage while Reno made his exit “After all this time! A worthy successor to Ifalna at last...”

 

* * *

 

Aerith stared at the wooden table lost in thought, the subtle noise of a flickering fire place and the ticking of a clock breaking the awkward silence.

 

“So... yeah...” Zidane let out, explaining had been rough going for everyone involved. Some wounds were not better for being picked at even after so long. Especially for Dagger who had lost so much at the combined works of Kuja and Garland. Zidane had always found it difficult to tell her what had happened in the Iifa tree between the two Genomes, and even though she hadn't raised her voice in objection, the hate she had for Kuja was clear enough that she found anything positive regarding the Silver haired Angel of Death to be a bitter pill to swallow “Then... Kuja's ghost shows up by the reactor and... well that's where we are now.” Zidane finished with an exhausted sigh.

 

“So... why did he,” Aerith began, trying to put her thoughts together “If he died on your Gaia, why did he show up in Midgar?”

 

“I don't know,” Zidane admitted “Whatever it was, he was looking more scared than I've seen anyone look. I saw Vivi end up face to face with a Dragon and he didn't look half as spooked as Kuja did as he came through that wall.” And thoughtful silence fell again as the three were locked in their own minds, trying to think of something.

 

“So whatever was in that reactor,” Dagger attempted to deduce “Is either strong enough to cause hallucinations, or scary enough to scare ghosts from different planets. Either way, too many questions.”

 

“Well let's get answers for them.” Aerith declared, looking up with a look of determination.

 

“From where?” Zidane asked.

 

“There's only one place which might have the answers, and that's Shinra tower. They do so much already, if anyone has research on alien ghosts, it's them.”Aerith said, putting together a plan already, tracing a path with her finger along the knotted table wood.

 

“Considering the last time we dealt with those guys it kinda ended up in a brawl, I don't think randomly snooping for things in their castle is going to go well. Last time they didn't even wait for me to do something wrong before trying to jump me.” Zidane pointed out.

 

“Okay then... how about...disguises! We could dress up and pretend like we're supposed to be there,” Aerith suggested “Then we can sneak around and find anything we wanted.”

 

“Aerith,” Dagger began in a calm voice “You've done enough for us already. Going to the surface was one thing, but this is going to be dangerous. We can't let you put yourself in harms way for our sake.”

 

“It's not just your sake!” Aerith yelled, jumping out of her chair suddenly, taking in the shocked reactions before sinking back down “Sorry...” she mumbled out, staring at the floor in shame at her own outburst.

 

“Aerith?” Zidane asked tentatively.

 

“Since you... since you told me what you've been through, I have to do the same, right?”

 

Dagger sensitively put a hand over Aerith's, holding it gently “If it's too difficult to say, you don't have to.”

 

“But I should,” Aerith re-affirmed, hands curling into fists for a brief moment. “I've got questions too, things I didn't understand when I was younger- things that I... my mom...” she trailed off, breathing deeply as she tried to hold back the inevitable flood.

 

“-Then you'll need an escort to make sure you get them and protect you at the same time!” Zidane hastily interrupted, rushing over to Aerith's side and grasping the other hand. “If it's going to mean that much to you, then we can do it no problem. Get everything done in one trip, right?” Zidane said, attempting the reassure the flower girl.

 

“T-thank you.” Aerith stammered out throwing herself around Zidane, looping her arms around him as she pressed her face into his vest to soak up the tears.

 

“Whoa-whoa-whoa, I'm a married monkey, married monkey!” the blonde let out, swinging his arms around as he fought to stay in his seat, smiling as he heard some giggles in between the sobs.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No soundtrack notes for this chapter, sorry.


	8. Just Relax

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! Sorry! Sorry to all 5 people who read this. It's been too long, I know. I probably should have posted something to this during smut-tober, but that's over and now there's a new chapter ready to go. As usual, soundtrack related stuff at the bottom.

Zidane turned in his sleeping bag, sighing as his roaming hand felt nothing but a wooden floorboard. It had been kind enough for Mrs Gainsborough to provide something for them to sleep on besides the cold floor, the plastic on the outside still felt strange against the blond's skin yet it did more than an adequate job of keeping the Genome warm for his first night in a new world, but he couldn't help but ache at the lack of company next to him. Elmyra had a somewhat traditional view of relationships between young people, especially involving her daughter, and while Dagger was allowed to sleep in Aerith's room Zidane was stuck outside, the flower seller had offered to be the one to sleep in the hallway but glares from Elmyra had struck down the idea quickly and there was only room for one person to sleep on the landing, any more and someone would no-doubt be rolling down the stairs in the middle of the night.

 

It had been nearly a year since the last time he had slept alone, if he slept at all in his cross-continent trek to Alexandria, but then it had been the desire to see Dagger again that pushed him forward through those rough weeks. Now? His Queen was barely the other side of a door, he could hear her mumble in her sleep, he would see her again at sunrise or however people found out it was morning in Midgar, but it hurt all the same not to see her sleeping face whenever he opened his eyes. “Just relax...” he tried to tell himself, burrowing under the artificial covers and trying to close his eyes.

 

Morning arrived both too early and too late for his liking: The night was too long to stay away from his wife, but it was always too early to be awoken by what could only be described as a hellish buzzing, as though a nest of Hornets had learned to buzz angrily in sync with each other. “Mgh, ngh, nyaaa...” he moaned, tossing and turning as his eyes reluctantly focused, trying to find the source of the disturbance before flopping back down in hopes that it would go away if he pulled a pillow over his ears. A false hope shared by nearly everyone who had ever lived with a digital alarm clock. Conceding the fact that he wasn't going to get any more rest, Zidane pulled himself out of the covers with a yawn, his tail trailing in the bag for a few extra moments of warmth before it flinched away from the cold flooring as he headed downstairs in search of food.

 

“So, what's the plan?” He asked when Dagger joined him, instantly moving her stool next to his as she poured out a bowl of muesli, while the two were trying not to jump into each other's arms it was clear that her night had gone little better, even if she was willing to take a few moments to brush her hair before coming down compared to Zidane, who was looking even fuzzier in the morning than normal.

 

“Well first, we're going to need clothes,” Dagger began, making a quick hand motion to Zidane as Elmyra made her way to join them. The Queen doubted Mrs Gainsborough would have approved of her adoptive daughter's idea to infiltrate Shinra Tower, it was difficult enough to convince them to let her take her to the surface at all “Something appropriate for the location.” She said, keeping her tone refined yet casual, as though they weren't plotting anything at all.

 

“Sounds good, there's got to be a tailor or something around here,” Zidane yawned “Do you know anywhere to get new outfits Mrs Gainsborough?” he asked politely.

 

“There's usually some stalls in the market in the main area.” She replied curtly as Aerith dashed downstairs, bow already tied, fully dressed and ready to roll out.

 

“Alright! So! Who's with me?” She demanded, beaming at the somewhat confused expressions “To do some shopping, obviously.” The brunette clarified.

 

“Umm... food first?” Zidane suggested, pointing at his half-eaten pastry.

 

“Oh, right! Food. Yes, food first. Food's important.” Aerith mumbled out, rifling through the food storage to find something quick to eat and drink, even stuffing a juice box into her pocket as a backup in case she sprinted out only half way through breakfast.

 

“What's gotten into you today Aerith?” Elmyra asked with a suspicious eye.

 

“Nothing!” Lied Aerith, obviously “Just that now we've got an extra pair of hands that's good at climbing, he could repair that hole in the roof of the church.” this lie went over a lot better, but still had the structural strength of the foil around a baked potato.

 

“Repair it with what?” Came the response, puncturing a person sized hole in Aerith's story.

 

“There's enough sheet metal going around, probably pick up one of those, still got money from yesterdays flowers so we can get some tools for it.” Zidane answered with a mouth full of food, pulling Mrs Gainsborough away from Aerith's expression that resembled a deer on a chocobo racetrack., even if it did cause her to scowl and Dagger to roll her eyes at her husband's table manners.

 

“Just be careful, that roof is high enough to seriously hurt you if you fall.” Elmyra warned, moderately disgusted yet satisfied with the blond's explanation.

 

“Ahhh, got it,” Zidane swallowed, smiling at the relief on Aerith's face and patting his fist against his chest “I'm fine high up, kinda comes with the monkey territory. Probably don't need much though, it's not as if you get rain down here, or as if people make a habit of falling through church roofs.”

 

* * *

 

 

Breathing a sigh of relief as the door shut behind the three, Aerith once again took charge as they headed towards the market, running off all the possible disguise options they could get “Ooh! Oooh, maybe there's a black turtle-neck jumper we can use to sneak in, tactically. The Tactile-neck!” She suggested as Zidane went through the rails of clothing.

 

“Eeeh,” Zidane grunted in a non-committal manner. He had been looking for something like one of the blue suits Reno had worn, the red-head seemed to be somewhat of a big-wig with them if Zidane was any judge and while the Genome had very little experience with the fashion of this world beyond cursory glances he didn't reckon much on the selection in Sector 5. Although the glowing green marbles from one of the stalls did look more interesting, even if the vendor had attached them to the back of his hand for some reason.

 

“Anything else we could use beside outfits?” Dagger asked, sliding the last coat-hanger along the rusting rail with a huff, she was also struggling to find something that fit and looked respectable at the same time.

 

Aerith on the other hand was almost finished, having quickly gone for a full length pink dress with a red jacket that was too small in the arm, not even covering up to her elbows before topping it off with a pair of brown hiking boots that went with absolutely nothing else but were durable and comfortable while only costing 50 gil. “Well, maybe we could buy some materia, but they're expensive.” She suggested, slinging a large paper bag over her shoulder and pointing to the stall Zidane's eyes had been wandering to.

 

“Weren't those the stones that the man used against Zidane last evening?” Dagger whispered, picking up on the pale green orbs.

 

“They're pretty useful, the Green ones do magic and... that's about all I know about them,” Aerith admitted sheepishly under the Queen's inquisitive look “I have a white one in my ribbon but it doesn't do anything but look pretty.”

 

600 gil was more money than anything else cost down in the slums, but the stall was busy regardless, the vendor seemed to be raking it in with demonstrations of minor magics, 5 gil to watch a flame jump around the stall harmlessly, 25 to heal a cut with Cure, it was a niche the vendor had carved out so well that he was actually surprised when Zidane dumped enough money for 3 pieces: one Ice, one Fire and one Cure. “Hope that was worth it,” he sighed, holding the green orbs between his fingers. “Can you show us how to use 'em?”

 

Aerith took the task with a smile, slotting one into a little nook carved out of her self-protection staff that Elmrya had given her for protection “Okay, so you've just got to focus, and let the voice you hear guide you,” she explained to the Queen and King as they stood in their impromptu practice ground on the church steps “It takes a while to get used to but eventually it only takes a few seconds for it to cast the spell.”

 

“So we have to listen to the voice that tells us to burn things, got it.” Zidane joked, taking a small pleasure as Aerith puffed her cheeks out in frustration while Dagger was already making a person-sized ice sculpture in front of her.

 

“I'm sorry, but I don't think I can keep using these.” The queen said, handing the orb back to Zidane.

 

“But that was really impressive!” Aerith argued.

 

“It's giving me a headache, perhaps because I can already cast magic a different way is causing a problem.” Dagger sighed, shaking her head as her ice sculpture faded into a small pile of snow.

 

“So... kinda like riding those Gargants, easy enough but you're upside down for it so it's gonna make your head spin if you keep at it for too long.” Zidane reasoned.

 

“What's a Gargant?” Asked Aerith.

 

“Long story.” Came the dismissive reply from both Zidane and Garnet.

 

“So we've got a bit of extra magic to help us, but still no clothes. Is there anywhere else we can try?” asked the Genome, tapping the back of one boot with his other foot “Without going back to the surface? Don't think that's a good idea if we're looking to raid the tower.” he added, reading Aerith's expression.

 

“Another sector perhaps?” Garnet suggested “If this is number five it stands to reason there's other areas that might have their own markets.”

 

“Hmmm...” Aerith hummed, lost in thought “Well, we could try walking to Seven. The road's a bit ruined and there's monsters everywhere but we should be pretty safe.”

 

“Monsters everywhere, does not equal safe.” Zidane pointed out.

 

“Well, other people go there,” Aerith snapped defensively “a lot of people seem to walk through sector 6 and they come back fine.”

 

“If they're willing to brave monster-infested routes perhaps there is something valuable on the other side.” Dagger thought out loud, something Aerith took as an agreement.

 

“Perfect! Let's go!” She cheered, throwing up her arm in victory.

 

* * *

 

 

It had been a rough morning of training for a certain member of SOLDIER. Ever since his run in and subsequent fight with the short blond thief he knew he had been missing a step. His sword swings were slower than they normally were, and every so often his muscles twitched, a grim reminder of the brief battle if the scars on his hands weren't enough. Still, he didn't think it was going so badly that it needed a check-up from Professor Hollander. “Just relax and take a seat on the medical chair,” the man in the lab coat said, not even turning to look at the 3rd class who'd just entered, instead keeping fixed eyes on a set of vials in front of him.

 

“Yes sir.” the SOLDIER replied, sweeping off his helmet and letting his buzz-cut black hair show, taking the time to ease himself into the dentists chair that occupied most of Hollander's medical office that was his base of research, a bottle of Banora Apple juice rested by the sink alongside many ring-binders all labelled “Project G” scattered across the desks.

 

“So,” the professor began, smacking a few buttons and letting the scanner fall in place “Drop in performance, continual muscle twitches, anything else you can tell?” He asked, casually rattling off the symptoms to his latest patient.

 

“Uh yes... I mean no, sir. Nothing beyond those two things, sir.” the SOLDIER replied, sweating under the bright lights even in the cold atmosphere of Hollander's office. It was said he liked to keep it cold so he could leave drink bottles out without them getting warm, but all it was doing was putting the patient on edge.

 

“Right, right...” Hollander dismissed, keeping his attention between the vials and his computer screen “Okay, looks like some of the electricity's managed to trap a nerve and that's causing the twitching,” he explained to which his patient just nodded. He was the one with the lab coat after all. “So what I'm going to do is give you this potion right now,” Hollander continued “It's going to suck taste-wise and hurt like hell for a half a minute but it should settle things. Get you back in the fight.” He continued as the sound of pouring liquids. The chair swiveled round with barely a whirr and almost threw the SOLDIER out of it as it snapped upright in a brief moment, letting the 3rd class look at the smile hidden beneath the beard as he took a red vial and drank it quickly.

 

He was expecting it taste disgusting and was not disappointed, it seemed all his body wanted to do was cough it back out, violently. Every part of him seemed to try and reject it, forcing him to lunge forward onto the office floor, pain searing through his scalp as he felt bone and muscle change below his skin, red lightning crackling between his fingers as he rolled onto his back, wracked in agony “ _Prof_... **professor**..!” He coughed on the floor, Hollander's casual smile turning into a vicious grin as he stood above the pain-stricken SOLDIER eyes blurring into a sheet of red.

 

“Don't worry,” he said, reaching down to grasp a crackling hand with a gloved arm “It's almost over, nothing to worry about in the long term. Although your uniform's probably ruined, good thing I carry a spare or two in the storage here.” The professor said as he escorted the patient back to the medical chair, new hairs sprouting through the shaved sides in a shade of reddish-brown.

 

 

 

“Isn't that right, Genesis?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay additional note: according to the timeline on FF Wiki, I have cocked up by having Cloud be in Shinra before the Wutai war ends. It doesn't make that much of a difference but when you've tried to at least somewhat stick to the timeline, finding the point where you messed up can be really annoying. ...but I'm not taking out that bit about Cloud in chapter 5.
> 
> Soundtracks:  
> Morning in sector 5 - FFIX OST "One Problem Solved"  
> Dr Hollander's office - Team Fortress 2 Soundtrack "More Gun (Version 1)"  
> 1st Class Copy - Persona 4 OST "Edge Of Madness"


	9. Crossing the Slums

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly shorter delayed chapter, holidays and all that.

If Zidane had thought that Sector 5 had looked dilapidated, then he would have to search very hard in a thesaurus to find some way of describing the ruins of Sector 6 in a way that didn't resort to simply cursing the state of it. Even calling it a ruin was being charitable, ruins would have been impressive at some point in time if not now, Sector 6 was just... a dump. “People used to live here?” He asked, scrambling over a hill of scrap sheet metal and broken bricks.

 

“I think so?” Aerith responded, using her staff to help her climb up through the rusting pile, trying to not stick it in the corpse of a monster that was to the Midgar slums what a dead pigeon was to the surface. “Kinda hard to see it now but I think that's a house over there.” She said, pointing at a blur of white paint concealed behind the remains of a clock tower's machinery as she reached the summit of the pile, a cracked tarmac road twisted it's way through the heaps as the three continued on their way towards the next area, if other people had braved the treacherous urban terrain then sector 7 had to have something worthwhile beyond more simple market stalls, otherwise they'd be risking getting slashed by broken chunks of metal for nothing.

 

As they approached, Aerith's scouting was a little off, it wasn't a house that was caught underneath a selection of various types of rust, it was too small despite being painted to look like one. The white walls and the red roof were taller than all 3 of the travellers but resembled more of a renovated shed or an up-scaled playhouse than an actual dwelling. Even if it was in remarkable condition compared to everything around. “Strange,” Dagger pondered to herself “everything else here has wasted away, yet this almost shines.”

 

“Eh, probably got fresh paint or something,” Zidane dismissed, pressing a hand against the wall and hearing the slightest creak “Feels kinda wooden, like this was an old place that Midgar just built over cause they wouldn't sell up.” he commented, rapping his hand on the paintwork.

 

“Maybe the owners are still around?” Aerith suggested, walking up to the door and putting her hands together to call out “HELLO!?” to little response except the groaning of rusted beams piled on top “Guess not.” the flower seller conceded, turning back to the winding path across the sector.

 

Shrugging his shoulders as the ladies walked away, Zidane walked past the house without a second thought until he heard another noise, this time from inside the small building, a whirring. Not the noise of metallic decay that surrounded the whole undercity-city but a more... dedicated sound. The sound of a machine slowly coming back to life after a long time's neglect and it was happening right behind the door.

 

Zidane dived out of the way as the door burst off it's hinges as a massive mechanical maw snapped it's way through the new opening, metallic teeth blunting as they were crunched together “What the heck is that!?” the blond yelled out as he reached for his blades. The small house rose from the ground, shaking piles of debris off that threatened to crush them before fully revealing it's horrifying form.

 

Limbs extended from every other opening, windows and decorative chimneys sported arms, four mechanical legs stood on the tarmac buckling under it's own weight, a long serrated blade shot out through a wall and it's head was a disused aerial bomb with eyes and teeth. Nothing about it looked friendly, just mean and hungry.

 

Diving out of the way of the long blade's path as the Hell House swung itself around, Zidane tried what came naturally to the thief when dealing with houses and tried to climb the mechanical beast for a better place to stab, trying to hang off the awning of the roof so his knives could be driven down onto the top of it's head.

 

The first part went off fairly smoothly, the long blade required the whole house to swing around to strike making it easy enough for the genome to duck underneath and start clinging to the side of the wall. Unfortunately for Zidane, what he had thought would be a good blind spot to start his ascent was not, he had gotten in behind an outstretched arm that he had thought could only reach forward, only for it to spin around in a way no organic arm could have done in an attempt to grab and yank him off the paintwork “Whoa!” He called out, spinning himself further back along the wall to avoid being snatched up.

 

Dagger was no slouch on the draw either, pulling herself and Aerith away from the flailing limbs while she reached for her staff “All light fall into darkness,” she chanted as the machine continued in its efforts to scrape Zidane off the side, letting the energy of her white magic flow through her before yelling out her spell “Bound Darkness! BLIND!”

 

Upon the completed casting a cloud of darkness descended on the metallic head of the beast, forcing it to attempt to brush away the impenetrable fog in front of it's eyes to no effect earning a smug smirk from the queen and a thumbs up from the king, letting Zidane resume his climb unimpeded. Swinging up onto the roof and dashing along the tiles, knives drawn for a fatal leap that would seal this monster's fate. The magical darkness might have impeded the Hell House's vision, but it was still lashing out unpredictably, an arm that was trying to wipe away the spell had instead smacked into Zidane mid-jump, wrapping its metal fingers around his leg and pulling him away “Zidane!” Aerith yelled as the genome was swung in the air recklessly by the monster, pulling at Dagger's arm as the Summoner closed her eyes “Come on, do something!” the flower seller demanded, waving her free hand in front of the Queen's face to no avail.

 

“I'm okay! I'm okay!” Zidane yelled despite mounting evidence to the contrary, the Hell House might have been blinded, but it could still feel through it's metallic limbs and had finally realised what the struggling blond in its grasp meant to it. Prey caught, ready to to be eaten. The head tilted up and opened wide revealing a set of grinding gears within the mouth to add extra terror to the jagged, partly rusted teeth “Okay, less okay.”

 

Panicked and frustrated, Aerith desperately gripped the green orb tightly, her eyes flashed a bright green for a brief moment as she channelled as much magic as she could through the materia, letting loose a fire spell strong enough to melt through the rows of teeth and letting the molten metal fall down the mechanical monster's gullet, rapidly cooling metal sticking in between the gears, causing the Hell House to shudder, legs crumpling down as the floor hit the tarmac.

 

The arms were still moving and the eye slits still glowed, but the monster's grip slackened severely, allowing Zidane to slip out of it's grasp and do what he'd planned to do all along: drive his knives deep into the head of the beast, a blade for each eye. Whatever had been powering the monster had given up as the weapons pierced through bringing the Hell House to a halt “Phew, that's the end of that,” he breathed, sheathing his weapons as he dropped down to the floor “Nice work with the magic, ladies.” He complimented, flashing a brief smile as he turned to do what he had planned to do before the monster had shown it's true form, looking inside the house shell to see what was going on.

 

Panting hard, Aerith stuffed the materia back into her pocket with a faint but satisfied smile “Well I... I had to do something. Fire was all I had so that worked out well,” she said, wiping away the sweat while Zidane poked around the mess that was the monster.

 

“Yeah that's great, now that thing knew how my tail felt when it got set on fire,” The blonde said, pulling away from the wreck as he turned back to the two confidently before catching his wife's expression “Dagger? What's wrong?”

 

The Queen of Alexandra was looking straight down at the ground, trying to avoid Aerith's and Zidane's collective gaze as she grasped her own arms tightly “Sorry! I didn't mean it!” the flower seller squeaked, swiftly crouching down to get into Dagger's field of view and look up with her best apologetic eyes, “I'm sorry I panicked and got mad, please don't hold it against me.” She begged as the Queen sighed, her shoulders slumping as she looked back up at Zidane, her eyes tinged red.

 

“It's not... it's not your fault Aerith...” she said, trying to comfort the spooked flower seller “It's just, I was trying but...” her voice trailed off as Zidane started to piece together what had happened when he was in the beast's clutches.

 

“Hey,” he said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder “You haven't lost them again, it's just some... stuff that's world dependant. Like this world has different rules for black and white magic it probably has different rules for other things too,” He said, attempting to reassure her “They'll be with you when we get back, promise.” the genome said, patting his chest as Aerith picked herself up.

 

“Um... what's lost?” She asked, prompting Zidane to rush in-between the two young ladies, desperately waving his arms in an attempt to get Aerith to drop the subject.

 

“Doesn't matter and they're not really lost it's just a case of-”

 

“I can't contact my Eidolons, my summon magic cannot work.” Dagger confessed, standing up straight behind Zidane, catching both of them off guard with the bluntness of it all.

 

“Oh,” Was all Aerith could respond with, scuffing the toe of her boot into a chip in the tarmac in lieu of an actual contribution. What was she supposed to say in the face of a statement like that? “Maybe we should... just keep... just keep going. Sector 7 has to be close now.” She settled for, attempting to point the group back in their original direction, resuming their journey through the Midgar slums in an awkward silence.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Musical soundtrack:
> 
> Sector 6 Slums: Under the Rotting Pizza - FFVII OST  
> Fight with the Hell House: Let the battles begin - FFVII OST  
> After the fight/Not on track: Endless Sorrow - FFIX OST


	10. Something Important

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been about a year since I started this, was hoping to keep a regular update schedule or at least be out of Midgar by this time but I guess best laid plans often go wrong. I'm still going to keep at it for as long as I can but at this rate it'll be 2525 before I actually get to something regrettably. Still, it's been fun to go back to old ideas and do it well this time around even if I have a lot less free time to do it in.

The three travellers made their way through to an old playground in a gloomy silence, every so often Zidane would turn to face Dagger with his mouth open ready to talk only to see her forlorn expression killing any bravado the blonde had before continuing on the cracked tarmac path. Not even the sight of a slide in the shape of a big bear looking thing was helping to cheer her up “Well, Sector Seven is just through here,” Aerith nervously chimed, clambering up onto the plastic domes for a better view of the black and yellow bordered opening in the steel wall. “Maybe we can find something useful!” She suggested, pointing into the gloom.

What few lights there were beyond the threshold didn't suggest anything useful. Just more hastily built shacks and old houses that had lasted the years of abuse under the plate, nothing more than was in Sector Five, perhaps less without the church and miniature garden. “You sure about people climbing through that dump to get here?” Zidane asked as he scratched the back of his head “I mean its a little different to the others but uh... not really seeing the appeal for taking the long way.”

“I'm sure!” Aerith snapped back, fists held at her side for a brief moment before raising a hand to a chin looking deep in thought “There was... there was a guy, I think he was related to one of the people at the market square and I saw him heading through here. I asked him what he was doing and he seemed really shocked that I was talking to him and then he said it was really important but it was very dangerous and not to tell his wife because she'd be mad he did something really dangerous and didn't want her to worry.”

“And he didn't actually say what he was doing?” Zidane questioned.

“Oh! ...no.” Aerith conceded.

“It's fine, there could still be something here that wasn't back in sector 5,” the blond waved off, trying to move forward and on before something caught his eye off to the side “This guy, was he trying to look sneaky? Hunched over with a hood covering his face?” he asked.

“Um... I think?”

“Like that guy over there?” he asked, pointing to a crouched over figure staying close to the dividing wall.

“Yeah! Like that!” Aerith agreed, “Oh wait, he was wearing a different outfit I think, and he didn't have a backpack on either,” she said turning back to the space Zidane had been standing in a few moments ago “Zidane?”

It is one of the rules of nature that unless practised regularly, attempting to sneak always results in the sneaker becoming more more obvious to casual onlookers than if he was just walking normally. As such it shouldn't have been as startling as it was for the man to be suddenly asked “What'cha up to?” by a young man who wasn't there a second ago.

“Ahh!” he jumped, throwing himself back first against the sector wall “Nothing! Nothing at all!” he declared like an amateur thief freshly caught, although to his credit he did settle down a little when he realised he was taller than the man asking questions.

“So there's nothing that way?” Zidane inquired, pointing in the general direction the man had come from, taking in the well-beaten path, whatever was that way was getting a lot more footfall than the routes between the sectors on their own.

“Yup! Nothing at all,” the stranger agreed “I was just trying to avoid some of the monsters between here and home.” he made up on the spot.

“Yeah, we ran into some nasty ones in sector six,” Zidane said with a knowing smile “Good idea to hide out there, maybe make some money off the scrap?” he suggested.

“Make money?” the man balked “It's the fastest way to lose gil under the plate over there,” He let out before realizing just what he was saying and slapping his hand over his mouth. “I should go.” he mumbled out before sprinting away, backpack jingling all the way into the gloom of sector seven.

“And I'm back,” Zidane declared, casually resting against the swing set as he made it back to the two young ladies “Okay, I think I found what was so important for that shop-keeper's husband. Follow me!” He said, thumbing towards the path off around the wall for the visibly confused Aerith.

The faint sound of music as they followed the dirt track around told the genome that his assumption was right, and the lights in the distance had a distinctly red hue to them. Something important that someone didn't want their wife worrying about? People skulking away trying not to be seen despite there being very few people to not be seen by? Zidane had lived long enough in Lindblum to recognize the signs of an area of negotiable affection. Although maybe it wasn't the best idea to bring Dagger to one of them. Or Aerith. But especially not Dagger “So uh, this is probably going to be uh... an adult only area.” He said, trying to ease the two young women into the subject.

“Zidane,” Dagger sighed, still looking somewhat despondent “There is a brothel tax in Alexandria, I know what one is.” She said, much to Zidane's shock.

“Great! Uh, let's get going then, there's more than one light there so there's probably bigger markets than back near Mrs Gainsborough's house.” The genome announced, still off balanced by the notion that the high queen knew what he was on about.

“Brothel?” Aerith asked, her head tilting to the side “What's a brothel?”

“Ask your- actually don't ask your mother. I'll tell you later. Much later.”

 

* * *

 

Hidden up against the sector wall wasn't just a brothel however, but a whole mass of tented shops selling anything and everything: potions, foreign foods, weapons and armour, powerful magic and items guarenteed to have not fallen off the back of a chocobo, no sir. “Wow~!” Aerith let out, already wondering off to a nearby pharmacy “There's even more stores here than on the surface! We've got to find something good here!” she called to the pair.

“Stick together Aerith! If you're not careful you'll get pick-pocketed!” Zidane called back, turning back to Dagger and throwing an arm over her shoulder “Come on Dagger, we can find something here to cheer you up, I'm sure.”

“Possibly...” Dagger breathed, walking with her king towards the first place, an outfit boutique with little joy.

“Welcome darlings! Why aren't those some exotic designs, I haven't seen a vest like that in teal before.” the tailor & dress-maker, a very large and muscular man, called out as the shop bell rang, beckoning the three shoppers in “And what can I help with you today? Two ladies and a young gentlemen? A wedding dress perhaps? I have none on the rails today unfortunately but I'm sure with your measurements and my expertise we can make you look beautiful on your most important day-”

“Whoa! Sorry to cut you off there buddy, but we got married a while back. Twice.” Zidane said, trying to interrupt the expensive sales spiel.

“And I don't even have a boyfriend.” Aerith chimed in.

“Ah, such a shame. Well I hope the dress-maker did his or her best but you should have sought me out first! Oh the styles...”

“We need something a little more every-day,” Zidane interjected, the expression of the tailor dropping. “Something that won't attract attention up in the big tower.”

“Ah... would this be for a new... job?” the seller said carefully, eyes suddenly twitching towards a grey piece of glass hanging from the rafters.

“You could say that.”

“Good, good. Now if you turn to your right, on the third rail there there's quite a nice variety of suits for yourself, the changing room is over there...”

“Thanks, got it.” Zidane said, quickly snatching a few hangers off the rails, even one from outside the area that the man had suggested and dashing into the changing room.

“As for you ladies, if you could perhaps explain a little more what you require, something to show off the figure perhaps,” the shop-keeper suggested while the sounds of zips and something that sounded a lot like squeaking was heard in the background.

“Um well...” Aerith mumbled, taking a strategic step back.

“Oh no need to worry, perhaps something more subdued is in order for yourselves. It is wrong for me to make assumptions about these things but in my humble life here I have had quite a few come to me for help with a job in the tower, although something I cannot recommend by any means, and while the men try to keep the head down the women on the other hand-” He rambled before the curtain to the changing room slid aside once again. “Sir... if you were trying to avoid attention, I think you have the wrong outfit.”

Zidane was now dressed head to toe in black material that hugged his toned body tightly, his hips cocked to the side as his blonde tail swished through the air freely behind him while atop his head was a black domino mask that did nothing to conceal identity and a pair of black cat ears. The cheeky grin topping it all off. “What do you think Dagger?” He purred, slinking up to the Queen of Alexandria as she furiously blushed while Aerith tried to look as intensely as possible at the selection of pre-made dresses and not at the costumed blond.

“Z-Zidane! That is... that is the most ridiculous outfit!” Dagger declared, her mouth twitching at the red cheeks “Where did you? How did you?”

“There's a bunch of them over there,” Zidane explained, pointing to the rails next to the changing room “So what do'ya think? The kitty cat burglar look suit me or not? I see a smile~” he sang, seeing the Queen's expression soften into a chuckle.

“Hmm... Didn't that outfit have a black tail attached?” The shop-keeper asked.

“I ditched it for a blonde fluffy one, it matches my hair,” Zidane brushed off before turning back to Dagger “You know, if you're interested, there's a ladies one made in this shiny red stuff and I think you'd look really-”

“I think we need to conserve our finances right now.” Dagger cut him off, thrusting him back into the changing rooms and pulling the curtain behind them. The shopkeeper nodding his head sagely and moving to turn up the volume of his music player.

 

* * *

 

“So you're happy with that outfit Aerith?” Dagger asked, brushing her hair back with her hands while Zidane was loaded down with the recent shopping.

“Yup, that guy was really good at finding fancy things, but I just didn't think they worked for me. You two took a long time though, was it hard finding things that fit?”

“Well-” Zidane began before Dagger quickly interrupted.

“Yes. Yes it was. Now let's get ourselves fully equipped shall we? There's likely a blacksmith somewhere where we could purchase some new weapons.” The queen suggested, pulling Aerith along by the arm just forcefully enough to get the point of the conversation across. Enough to stumble straight into the Shinra infantryman who had just come out from around the corner.

“Oh I'm so sorry!” Aerith apologized while Zidane stepped behind a sign, remembering the last encounter.

“Watch where your going! Official Shinra business coming through.” The man shouted standing up straight before buckling slightly, a fat man in a green suit and glasses that concealed the few bits of face that weren't dominated by a bushy black beard had smacked him in the back.

“Quiet ya idiot, I thought those idiots you call officers told you to not shout it out down here.” The fat man grumbled.

“S-sorry sir,” the grunt replied in a much meeker voice than he'd used on Aerith.

“Damn right you're sorry. Now get me back to my office before I catch anything else down here. Damn Don lowering his standards... doesn't he know who pays him?” the man muttered as he waddled off, scratching an uncomfortable area.

“Who was that?” Asked Dagger after he was safely out of earshot.

“I dunno. Must have been someone important.” Aerith shrugged.

“Good thing he dropped this then,” Zidane said, dropping one of the bags to pick up a folded piece of paper and unfolded it. “Well that's one problem down, we've got our way in to the tower.” He declared victoriously, showing the paper to both Aerith and Dagger.

“Shinra Electric Company proudly presents an exhibit of treasures from Ancient times collected by good friend of the company Sir Dio? Open to the public with a suggested donation as well! Zidane that's perfect!”

“Hey don't thank me, thank whoever this Dio guy is. And whoever the fat guy was who dropped the flyer.” Zidane dismissed, but it was perfect, almost too perfect. A way into Shinra tower without scrutiny, and a starting off point for their research. It might not be much and was still a risk, but it was the best chance the three had, in two days time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack notes:
> 
> Sector 6: Under the rotting pizza -FFVII OST  
> Not suspicious at all!: What? -FFV OST  
> Wall Market: Oppressed People -FFVII OST


	11. Getting in on the Ground Floor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this was supposed to be up about 10 days ago but I burned all my time off work doing the grand total of nothing much. This is however the first time a chapter of mine has ever cracked 3k words so I'm not sure if one chapter covering multiple scenes is better or should it be spread out for shorter chapters.

A crude map of Shinra Tower was scribbled onto a sheet of paper in a crowded diner, spiked into the table top with the point of a dagger as three conspirators laid out their plans in the seedy underbelly of the Midgar slums, Wall Market.

 

“So the plan's settled then,” Zidane began, his voice hushed to the point it was hard to hear over the general din “We go in the front door, young up and coming man about town, his girlfriend and her sister.” the blonde continued, pointing across the table at his co-planners.

 

“Got the hair dye!” Aerith chimed up, placing the nondescript bottle on the table as Zidane attempted to hush her.

 

“Aerith, come on! We're trying to be secretive here. We're essentially planning a raid on one of the most powerful places in this world. Can you at least be a little more quiet about it?”

 

“Oop, sorry.” The Ancient apologized, shrinking down into her seat.

 

“It's not as though we're the only people scheming in here, Zidane.” Queen Garnet scolded. Their decision to use a fairly popular Wall Market restaurant for their plotting wasn't an unusual one it seemed, every other table seemed to have a set of hooded figures conspiring to do something nefarious, or at least something Shinra wished they wouldn't do. One of the groups even waved at her.

 

“Alright, alright, but can we try and take this a little more seriously?”

 

“Our only map is a squiggle of a tower with vague arrows.” Dagger pointed out, tapping the poorly drawn map of Shinra Tower, made from only a brief in-person view and what Aerith could remember of her early childhood. It had two labels. One near the floor labelled MUSEUM and another near the top labelled LAB MAYBE? A formal infiltration plan this was not.

 

“Maybe we could have gone for a blueprint or something from one of the shopkeeps,” Zidane conceded “Anyway, so we got our roles. We go in the front door, everything normal, hope to hell these concealment holsters work 'cause they were _really_ expensive and they're probably checking for weapons if it's open to the public. What do we do then?” he asked expectedly.

 

Aerith took a deep breath, her face contorting in concentration before continuing the plan “We find someone important at the museum party here,” she explained, pointing at the accompanying label “and take his or his guard's keys to get us to the higher floors where we start looking for any information they had on me or weird goings on from your world.” she finished, beaming with pride.

 

“Right, they're likely to have archives or a non-public library closer to the more important areas of administration and research. From what you've told us, that means somewhere up towards the top. With the amount of people who regularly enter and leave the tower there is likely to be some sort of map to navigate once inside.” Dagger continued, nodding along.

 

“And when we reckon we've got enough, or it's taking too long. We head back down to the museum floor, walk out like nothing happened, and get the train back home.” Zidane concluded, plucking the knife out of the table and slipping the weapon into a small slot on his waistcoat, never to be seen again until needed.

 

* * *

 

 

According to the old clock above the sink, it was getting late in the day and there had been no sign of Aerith coming back from the church. Elmyra knew it wasn't safe to be out this late, even with the two slum newcomers. Especially with the newcomers, it had been a while since the Turks had tried to re-capture her adoptive daughter and while Zidane and Dagger had been friendly, something about the blond struck Mrs Gainsborough as a trouble magnet, and the men in blue suits would probably have less tolerance for someone like him than Tseng had shown for her polite but firm refusals. With a heavy sigh, she put on her walking boots and reached for her door keys.

 

As the three had assured her, they were safe within the church halls, at least, the two young women were safe, shouting encouragement and advice up at the monkey boy trying to manoeuvrer his way on the ceiling with a sheet of congregated metal and a set of power tools, letting Elmyra breath a sigh of relief hidden by the sound of buzzing machinery and the call of “Your other left!”

 

“Oh!” Dagger let out as she turned around, hearing the church doors creak “Mrs Gainsborough, how have you been today?” She asked politely.

 

“Fine, fine. It's just been a while since you left, I was wondering how the repairs were going.”

 

“It's going fine! Just fixing the inner sheet!” Zidane called down, his tail curled around a support beam.

 

“It's off again! It'll let the water in!” Aerith shouted back up.

 

“It doesn't rain down here! That doesn't matter!” the blond bellowed back.

 

“That is how the repairs are going,” Dagger sighed, rolling her eyes as she looked back up at her husband while Elmrya nodded along in sympathy “For the past several hours.”

 

“Well, it looks like it'll keep the worst of any drafts out,” Elmrya commented, raising her voice to be heard by everyone “But it's getting late, we should be heading back now!”

 

“Okay! Zidane! Time to go home!” Aerith called, waving up to the genome as his shoulders slumped.

 

“Just a sec, need to get down with the stuff first.” Zidane assured, swinging into the upper floor behind the main hall and stuffing the tools in one of the bags with a satisfied smirk on his face. The church hadn't been the first place he'd thought of to stash the gear they'd need, but Mrs Gainsborough seemed to be buying it with the evidence out of sight. All it needed now was a warning sign to prevent any kid climbing up and finding several thousand gil worth of illicit equipment and he had the first stop of the raid night all sorted.

 

* * *

 

 

The next days seemed to drag on forever. With most of the money from Angeal already spent in Wall Market, there wasn't any point to making any more supply runs and while some people were offering bounties for monster hides, Dagger and Zidane were intensely trying to stay low profile below the plate before their plans for Shinra HQ. Most of the time was spent running minor errands for Mrs Gainsborough around the house or with Aerith in the church, trying to kill the hours until the right moment to move out. But eventually they found themselves up on the surface ready to make their move.

 

Zidane's blue suit jacket hung loosely around his shoulders as he looked up at the imposing tower, ready for the challenges ahead “So this is it, been a while since I've had to break into anywhere.” He said, mostly to himself as he rolled his shoulders back and started to walk to the tower, heels clicking on the pavement as he craned his neck up. By how stiff both Aerith and Dagger were walking, he was probably the least nervous of the group “You know, we don't have to do this if you don't want to.” He proposed.

 

Aerith was stuck still looking up with a grim expression, her hands subconsciously balling into fists as she looked up at her old prison for the first time up so close “I'll be... I'll be fine,” she insisted, shaking herself loose in her red and pink dress “Just... if I scream, promise me you'll come running. Please?” she whispered as the Queen wrapped her hand over the Ancient's arm.

 

“I promise,” Dagger assured her, holding on tight as she nodded softly. “Now then: Sister,” the black haired woman announced publicly “Shall we go to the museum? There has to be something of interest there.”

 

“Mhm.” Aerith let out, slowly starting to look like her normal self again as she turned around, a smile slowly making its way on her face.

 

“Okay ladies, let's mosey!” He said, making his way to the large set of doors, past the open set of stairs.

 

* * *

 

 

The exhibition hall on the ground floor of Shinra Headquarters had always been a popular place to duck out from the occasional rain, it was the closest venue Midgar held that resembled a museum, and now that Dio had commandeered the venue for his own personal collection the place was attracting even those who didn't directly deal with the electric company. Helmeted security officers flanked the doors and isles, corralling the crowd along in a sensible manner to best see most of what was on display and to keep them at least 20 feet away from anyone accompanied by a serious looking individual in a blue suit. President Shinra was looking at the events from his seat by the VIP's bar, a champagne flute in hand “It seems this event is another triumph of yours Dio. Congratulations are in order.” The blonde man offered, gesturing his untouched glass towards the giant man beside him while many people crowded around a garnet encrusted silver circlet.

 

It had been a task to find a suit big enough to fit Dio on short notice, especially since his retirement he had preferred to walk around wearing little more than wrestling trunks. Such were the acceptable quirks of being the second richest man on the planet, but there was such a thing as professional decency. He looked as though an emperor penguin had been on a steroid routine. “It's a shame we could only get so much over. Would have loved to bring more than just the crown from the Bone Village hoard! Never could work out the markings though.” He conceded, draining a fifth glass of champagne and handing the empty glass to a man in a blue suit, dark sunglasses and a stoic face concealing any level of contempt the Turk may have had to being a glorified waiter.

 

“Tonight is not a time for lamenting past failures, it is an opportunity,” began the portly man “Soon enough you won't have to limit yourself to renting this hall.”

 

“A good thing too. This place is too bloody expensive to keep every day, no offence.” Dio complained, before making a move down the isles.

 

“None taken.” He said softly, taking a token sniff of his drink but not letting any touch his lips as he reluctantly moved from his seat after the eccentric individual.

 

“So I can't help but notice,” Dio began, barging past his own security detail and bumping a few patrons out the way “That the big man himself hasn't shown up. The way you pitched it to me, all the bigwigs were going to be here. Thought I could finally get the chance to measure up against the strongest man, physically that is, the company has to offer.”

 

A vein pulsed on the President's head but his tone remained level “I'm afraid general Sephiroth is still in Wutai on operations that required his utmost attention,” he said in such a tone that implied that the famous war hero would never decide to pull a bunk “As is general Rhapsodos and while General Hewley is not stationed in Wutai his schedule did not allow him to be here. He's out of training expeditions,” He added, noting Dio's open mouth “The war may be a formality at this stage, but formalities have to be done all the same.”

 

“Well someone's got to be up for a decent scrap around here! What about you?” He asked, turning to the Turk assigned to his security “What's your name?”

 

“Rude.” Was the one word reply.

 

“What part of asking someone's name is rude? There's nothing rude about it!” Dio declared defensively as President Shinra wisely made himself scarce.

 

“Finally...” he grumbled under his breath, passing his full glass to another man in a blue suit, who quickly drained it.

 

“Zidane!” Hissed Dagger, giving the blond a quick elbow in the side.

 

“What?” He whispered back, wiping his lips with the back of his hand “I'm not gonna let it go to waste. So, see anything that might have a link back home yet?”

 

“There is something, but unfortunately everyone's crowding around it and it's hard to get a view,” She said, twisting a lock of her hair absent-mindedly as Aerith tried her best to shuffle through one of the world's most civilized mobs. The puffed out cheeks and furrowed brow told her more about her feelings than words ever could. “Perhaps a different approach is needed.” She said, tapping her chin before striding off towards Dio, her heels clicking along the false-marble floor.

 

“Excuse me, Mr Dio I believe?” She began with a regal tone “I was curious about the, crown jewel, of the exhibit, and wondered if you could be so kind as to offer a more detailed explanation.” The queen continued as she gently lead the massive man through, parting the crowd as they attempted to avoid another round of shoving, Zidane and Aerith quickly following in their wake.

 

“Ah yes! Of course!” Dio barked, not even questioning Dagger as who she was to be able to just walk up and ask something of one of the richest men in the world, it was something about the tone just eroded any niggling thoughts of 'no' before the mouth started working, it was mostly used to get Zidane to agree to wear formal clothes for a ceremony “This was the most surprising find of the whole dig, reckoned to be about five thousand years old and it sparkles as though it was good as new, instead of spending a couple millennia in the dirt.”

 

“Intriguing...” Dagger whispered as she looked at the circlet intently “What makes them so certain that it was so old? The details look very intricate.” She said, prompting Dio to continue his talk.

 

“Well I'm not the expert but it was something to do with the soil level, you can tell how old something is by how deep it was buried. It was really surprising like you said, there's a lot of detail on the silver work that's beyond any of the known metal working styles of the time, so there's the possibility of an old empire that we're only starting to uncover, interesting times and all that.”

 

“Fascinating, now if you'll excuse me-” Dagger said, taking a strategical step back and forcibly grabbing Zidane and Aerith by the arm and lead them out of the room and towards the bathrooms, smiling politely to the guards at the door while her husband winced in her surprisingly strong grip.

 

“Ow! What was that for?” Aerith asked as Dagger finally relented her grip, rubbing the potentially bruised arm.

 

“Sorry Aerith,” she apologized quickly before rounding on Zidane “please tell me you managed to get something while he was talking.”

 

“Was there ever any doubt?” The blonde asked, dangling a blue plastic rectangle between his fingers “Watched the guards around here use them to open doors just by waving them in front of the handle, shouldn't be too hard to figure out. Kind of a squeeze to get in his pocket though but the size of that guy, he probably wouldn't notice if you stuck a needle in his ass,” he chuckled “So what's up with that circlet thing? You were looking pretty close at it.”

 

“Garnets and silver dragons,” Dagger breathed, a wide smile breaking out on her face “The gem choice is no accident. That's an Alexandrian coronet, one that disappeared from the Alexandria Castle during the last recorded sighting of a comet.”

 

“Whoa!” Zidane yelped “Seriously? How'd you know all that from just looking at it.”

 

“It may have been painfully dull, but I did actually read most of the records, and that coronet vanished seventy years ago, but by their standards it's five thousand years old! There's a link here, a way back! We can go home if we can just find out how to use it properly and if the times are correct, Steiner won't have managed to finish calling out 'Princess' for the first time before we're back!” Dagger explained, new connections and ideas falling into a stream of joyous consciousness.

 

“Wait, shouldn't Rusty be yelling 'Queen' now?” Zidane pointed out.

 

“'Princess' sounds better when yelled at maximum volume, can you imagine him trying to call out 'Queen' how he used to?”

 

Zidane took a moment to consider the thought, then quickly creased up with laughter “Queeeeeeeen! No, no, it just doesn't work.” he joked, sending the laughter back to Dagger.

 

“Queeeeeeeeeeen!” She squealed in between giggles

 

“Queeeeeeeeee-” Zidane tried to go longer before a cough cut his squeal short “Oh god, I think the bubbles are coming back... hold me...” he panted, slinging an arm around his wife.

 

“So uh...” Aerith mumbled, shuffling around awkwardly “You might have a way home, that's uh... that's great.” She said, trying to put as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

 

“Oh! Shoot, sorry Aerith,” Zidane apologized, straightening out “We uh... kinda got lost in the moment and it was...”

 

“I get it, it's really important and there's people who are gonna be worried that you've gone, I get it.” Aerith dismissed, shaking her head.

 

“Well, I mean...” the blonde stumbled “That's probably not for a while and we've probably got a lot of time for it so we're not gonna just up and vanish any day.” He attempted to justify to the disheartened Ancient “Look, we got the first info for us and we got a key, I think. We weren't just here for us, so how about we head upstairs and focus on finding something important to you.” Zidane promised, reaching out to gently grasp Aerith by the hand.

 

“...Okay, up we go then?” Aerith sighed, lifting her chin up.

 

“Up we go,” Zidane agreed “Find the labs and take what we can get. Onwards and Upwards.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Soundtrack Notes-
> 
> Wall Market Diner - "So, What's the plan" A Hat In Time OST  
> Waiting for the moment - "Ruins" Undertale OST  
> Shinra Exhibit - "Rufus' Welcoming Ceremony" Final Fantasy VII/IX OST  
> Good News - "Fleeting Life" Final Fantasy IX OST

**Author's Note:**

> \---  
> Well I finally made it here. This was something I attempted previously on FF.net 10 years ago, writing to see if I've improved at all since those times. Feedback is appreciated.


End file.
